The Chazen Museum of Art at the University Wisconsin-Madison
MASK intervenes, imploring the institution to engage criticism and change policies while studying the object deeply. The Museum Director courageously accepted MASK’s offer, allocating $500k for the project and partnering in raising another $1MM to meet the project’s evolving aspirations.
Amy Gilman, Director of the Chazen Museum of Art
Amy Gilman, Director of the Chazen Museum of Art
“The re:mancipation project, explores the very nature of a museum collection: how we collect, display, interpret, and discuss the objects in our care. And, crucially, who controls the narrative around those works. By partnering with Sanford Biggers and MASK consortium, we have radically expanded the methods of interpretation. We have done this collectively by putting aside longstanding assumptions about how to display and interpret objects, grounding our work in deep research and analysis, utilizing new technologies and inviting artists of all stripes to respond from their own areas of expertise. “
Press
Accomplishments
Press
- ‘re:mancipation’ gives fresh look at 19th century sculpture | Channel 3000 Madison, WI
- Creating Space to Talk | Wisconsin State Journal
- UW-Madison exhibit has ‘something new to say’ about race and art | Wisconsin State Journal
- ‘We Are Still Standing’: ‘re:mancipation’ and its reclamation of the Black American voice | Daily Cardinal
- High Tech, New Perspective Inform Scrutiny of Museum Works
- NY Times: ‘It’s About Time.’ Museums Make Bids for Their Communities
Hyperallergic: The Era of the Visionary Museum Director Is Over … or It Should Be
Accomplishments
- Institutional change has been an outgrowth of project collaborations
- cross-disciplinary collaboration at the university
- practical application of Engineering to art and social Justice (STEAM)
- Art & artifact representation adjustments in the art museum database based on research
- curricular change
- docent re-education
- observed increase in security detail cultural sensitivity
- fostering artistic and academic exchange between local communities of color and the university
- a hybrid exhibition, part pedagogical, part contemporary comprised of artworks, and responses from the impacted community opens to continue to foster dialogue and healing
- other universities with editions of the the controversial object in their possession have expressed interest in receiving the touring exhibition and developing responses unique to their community
- comprehensive curriculum is being developed with support from the Mellon foundation, and advisory guidance from the MonumentLabs projects