The imaginary museum is a concept that was never considered before the commencement of this seminar. It is quite possible that literal thinking restrained my artistic flow from the beginning of class. However, looking at the evolution of my imaginary museum entitled Frenergetic Movements it is possible to see the slow comprehension of ideas that occurred in the courses’ duration.
The concept for Frenergetic Movements was an idea that I immediately came upon as I reflected on collections that I found myself to be the holder of. Being a music student at Mount Allison, one of the most important keepsakes in my possession are the programs and posters from different musical events I have experienced while being here. As my collection of promotional material was already quite broad, it became the focal point of my museum. The subject matter in material used in the project is from the Mount Allison University community solely. Throughout the semester as well I began to become more aware of what I have deemed “musical performance artifacts and archives;” meaning programs, posters and digital audio recordings. Each musical experience at Mount Allison University has some type of promotional material associated with it.
The title of Frenergetic Movements comes from a concert that was recently put on by the Mount Allison University Wind Ensemble in the spring of 2010. The final piece was written by composer John Estacio entitled Frenergy. The concert itself was named after the same piece. The word ‘Frenergy’ is an amalgamation of the words frantic and energy and describes the pieces’ tempo fittingly as it is in constant motion. This word ‘Frenergy’ I believe best describes the lifestyle of any music student at Mount Allison University. The constant motion that the piece conveys is in the same style as the seemingly ever frantic state we embody, hence the title of my imaginary museum is Frenergetic Movements.
The concepts for this project like stated before were hard to develop as my capacity to ‘think outside the box’ was hindered by the idea of what a museum is. I found it difficult to rightly establish the idea that a museum could be anything other than a place where art and artifacts were encased in four walls. Originally, my thoughts were associated only with that of the objects themselves and they’re literal meaning. However, I found this idea to metamorphosis to include memory. My project not only became about the object but about a personal experience connected with each artifact. It turned into the idea that the viewer then had to rely on their own memory of the musical experience and draw meaning from it personally as each individual would have a different reaction to the performance. The final stage of evolution was that each artifact was then not the art itself and not the constant variable but the idea that performance was the art. The fleeting moment of the current now is however captured by the artifacts and stimulates memory receptors in our brains which then make personal associations relative in our own lives.
In the beginning stages of planning the project as well as the beginning of the course itself I found it difficult to contextualize the main concepts provided in class readings and discussions. However, towards the end of the semester, connections were being made between many different ideas that earlier were not completely understood. This led my project to be influenced by the theory of curating culture, contemporary cultures of display, and narratives which was initiated by the original reading of André Malraux’s The Voices of Silence and his idea of the imaginary museum. This was the starting point of my project. Malraux used works that were already created in his imaginary museum. He then molded and changed the art to suit his own needs within his conceptualizations. This really began his dematerialization of art. Art no longer had one identity, it could then be related to many different ideas.
The idea of the curation of culture is one that was explored thoroughly by Andrew Hunter in Cul-de-Sac and Chuck Klosterman in The Last Day: Killing Yourself to Live. Both are personal narratives. In my own museum I have been battling the concept as ‘artist as curator’ with the artist becoming responsible not only for the creation of art but the combination of artifacts to create a whole. I have been able to view myself as the curator of my imaginary museum however I also see myself as artist because of the role in the music department and the actuality of being a musician. My involvement within the department does affect how my museum is curated; the question is how does my personal experience influence how its curated and does it affect what is included in the project. The answer can only lie in the fact that my memory of events indicates what is included.
My museum is really a personal narrative of my undergraduate degree at Mount Allison University and all of the musical experiences I have encountered while being in Sackville. It should be understood however that this collection is not in its entirety. Every experience is not represented by an artifact in Frenergetic Movements. As well, it should be noticed that it is possible for the narrative to change persons. When I finish my years at Mount Allison it is possible for another student to continue the project. This would allow it to remain active. It is recognizable from the beginning that the project can continue infinitely as years pass uncontrollably at the institution. Musical experiences ergo cannot stop.
There are two types of cultures that are being curated. One being the life of a musician, the other being the social niche of the community of Sackville. It is impossible to include one experience without the other as they are very much inclusive with one another. It is possible to think of the idea that no other place in the world is quite like the experience in Sackville. Being a small community, it has the rural ideologies that are expected with a very liberal arts core. The music scene in Sackville is thus individualistic and cannot be experienced anywhere else.
Frenergetic Movements can be conceptualized as an internet source for students and teachers alike where it is possible to find a library of “musical performance artifacts and archives” in one setting. This library is in the form of an internet blog. I found that this was the best method of distribution because it granted access for constant updates and changes. It also allowed for a chronological approach to be taken. However, in a physical exhibition, it could fill a large gallery space. It would be set up so that there was no white space on any of the walls. Both programs and posters would be included in the display. The amount of information given would overwhelm the viewer. However, this would then draw them to the most relevant and prudent archives in the collection. It then forces the audience to make their own connections to memories they have to the information. As well as visual, audio clips of concerts and recitals would be playing in the background. However pieces in their entirety would not be played. Instead short clips of audio would be heard like someone flipping through channels on a television or a radio. This method of listening then forces listeners to associate their own memories to the narration.
Frenergetic Movements is thus an imaginary museum. In the form of a blog, it “houses” artifacts and archives from musical performances. All material is taken solely from the Mount Allison University Music Department faculty and student performances. This site is considered a true source which is easily and quickly accessible to find specific performance material. The main concepts used in the creation of Frenergetic Movements are based off of the idea that culture is curated and that the museum’s exhibits are usually a curation of a narrative. The narrative in Frenergetic Movements is that of my own association with the Sackville community and the Mount Allison University Music Department.
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Imaginary_Curator
