Museum Displays of \"Non-Western\" Art Are Qualitatively

Museum

Displays of "non-Western" art are qualitatively different from those displaying art that does not come from Europe or North America. Art from places deemed "exotic," or "primitive" tends to be displayed and perceived as anthropological items and indicators of culture. The conceptual arts and "art for art's sake" is frequently denied to non-Western societies. Moreover, the art of places like Oceania is sometimes referred to more as "artifact," versus "art." New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art has extensive and impressive collections of art (and artifacts) from Africa, Oceania, and throughout the Americas. Displays of non-Western art will invariably impact the viewer's perception and appreciation. Likewise, the curator's decision to create "period" rooms including multiple types of media (clothing, furniture, jewelry, pottery) in one place has a strong bearing on the visitor experience. Location, orientation, explanation, arrangement, and display all have powerful political connotations in the museum environment.

"The objects of cultural Others have been appropriated primarily into two of these categories: the artifact or ethnographic specimen and the work of art," (Phillips and Steiner 3). This binary pair has, as Phillips and Steiner point out, proven to be "unstable," which is why it is important to critique the displays of art and artifact from non-Western societies. In the Metropolitan Museum of Art, there seems to be a budding awareness of how to refrain from these binaries, and instead treat all art as a product of its culture and historical epoch. The task is not to display non-Western art as Western art is displayed, but instead to refer to the entire canon of human creation in universal ways. Thus, visitors from different cultural backgrounds can interpret the art and objects in the museum in holistic ways.

Walking through the galleries of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas is a qualitatively different experience than walking through galleries displaying European and American art. The lighting and color schemes are earthier, with more brown tones and wood incorporated into the displays. Many delicate objects are displayed within climate-controlled boxes to preserve their integrity, especially items containing perishable materials such as grass or wood. There is a greater diversity of shapes, items, and media on display in the Africa, Oceania, and Americas galleries than in their European counterparts. This is because viewers are walking through whole cultures as they step though the rooms, peering at pieces as disparate as ritual masks, cult statues, hairpins, and decorative cloths. The Ethiopian gallery number 351 is particularly dark to prevent discoloration of the dynamic decorative wall arts.

Because of the pre-eminence of painting as a medium in European art, the walls in those galleries are covered and visitor movement is generally circular or one-directional. On the contrary, only some of the walls in the Africa, Oceania, and Americas galleries bear elements like tapestries. The space of the room is used wisely, with all dimensions being included to allow for the display of statues in the round as in Gallery 350 showing African Art and especially in Gallery 352 displaying the art and sculpture of Benin. The Benin room is one of the most remarkable in the Africa, Oceania, and Americas set of galleries because of lighting. Each of the statues is encased in protective climate-controlled glass and the light refracts on the floor to create a unique viewing experience. The experience adds an interesting and interactive dimension to encountering the statues, but the curators could have provided the viewer with more information about the cultural context.

Moreover, the curators could have unfolded and displayed proudly the ceremonial paintings from Papua New Guinea. Ideally those cloths, which did have a significant religious and cultural function, would have enjoyed a display against a natural background. It is important to view such works of art in context, if viewing them in situ is impossible. Given that an in situ encounter with Papuan art is unlikely for most visitors, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has a responsibility to encourage the visitor to have a multidimensional experience. This involves learning about the cultural, historical, and social contexts of New Guinea art including its role in society, the status and gender of the artists involved.