Born in October 2005, Mode is dedicated to exploring museums, design and everything in between. The site is run by Lisa, currently working in the areas of Community Cultural Development and Indigenous arts.
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Email Mode at mode[at]optusnet.com.au
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Centre Pompidou, Paris
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MoMA, New York City
National Design Centre, Melbourne
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1 + 1 = 3
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 Photograph by Raymond Fudge (aka Smata2) ‘National Museum of The American Indian, Washington, DC. USA. Taken 29 Feb 2006’ Thanks for contributing Raymond! Tags: museum, blog, photos |
Posted by Lisa at 10:05 PM
| Over the next week, I’ll be posting my thoughts on some of the talks and exhibitions at the FotoFreo festival. First up are some comments on François Hèbel’s presentation at the conference on Saturday. François Hèbel is the current director of the highly-regarded photography festival Arles Rencontres de la Photographie. Arguing that we should push the boundaries in the display of photography, he stated that we should not ‘replicate what our ancestors are doing’. According to François, now that photography has been accepted by museums and galleries, there is a freedom to move away from the more standard modes of display, towards more experimentation in the use of colour and theatricality. I enjoyed François’ presentation of examples of exhibition displays from the festival in Arles. However, I would have liked more discussion on how the mode of display impacts upon the meaning communicated in the photographs. As much as I love innovation and experimentation, I feel it is important to have a reason behind why something is displayed in a particular way. I would have asked him about this at question– time at the end of the day, but he wasn’t there. Maybe I will just have to go to Arles to see for myself! To be continued - Shahidul Alam’s ‘Publishing from the streets: Citizen Journalism’. |
Posted by Lisa at 3:46 PM
| The British Interactive Group (BIG) is ‘the organisation for people involved in interactive science communication projects in the UK’. I’ve only stumbled upon this today, but it looks like a great resource with articles on mechanical and computer interactives amongst other useful bits and pieces. I can’t quite figure out if these staff uniforms are just part of the Mori Art Museum’s branding or whether they’re another element of design on display. Whatever the case, the uniforms have their own webpage. ‘start them young’ says Rita referring to efforts by both the V&A and the MCA to attract younger audiences. The V&A holds Friday Late events feature ‘live performances, guest DJ's and late bar’. The MCA’s project is Generationext which offers ‘afterhours appreciation events’ for youth aged thirteen to seventeen. (Via Bila + Design) Things That Are in Danger of Vanishing Because of Electric Appliance & Materials Law – an exhibition with a curious story behind it. (Via We Make Money Not Art) The Onion satirises the Smithsonian’s new hip–hop collection featuring ‘Xzibit: The Xzibit’ and a ‘collection of neckclocks’. More information on the real hip–hop collection in this article. (Via Museum Madness) The Cooper–Hewitt is planning a new website that they hope will put its collection in the hands of the audience, enabling them to curate their own exhibitions online. Director, Paul Thompson wants the Cooper–Hewitt to be ‘ahead of the curve and avant-garde’. But, really, I wonder whether museums are just playing catch-up with sites such as Flickr and del.icio.us? (Via Speak Up) |
Posted by Lisa at 8:08 PM
| My head has been swimming with ideas lately. Partly, because I have a new job - having graduated from volunteer to consultant at the WA Medical Museum. I’ve only been in the job for a week now, but it’s really amazing what a little more money and time can do for your motivation. Suddenly I am able to put into action all kinds of grand plans for the museum! I’m also feeling extra enthusiastic as a result of attending a seminar today called ‘Retaining and Recognising Volunteers’ run by Volunteering WA. It made me think of the first post on MODE, which was all about the need for organisations to provide more than just the ‘tea and bikkies’ for their volunteers. For example, matching the skills of the participants to their activities and helping them to develop their skills. The seminar’s first speaker, Vicki Hobbs, Volunteer Coordinator at St John of God Hospital, Subiaco, gave the audience lots of examples of strategies that they have implemented to retain their volunteers. She was particularly keen to stress the importance of recognition, noting that although many volunteers will say that they do not want to be thanked, it is human nature to want to feel appreciated. Vicki highlighted the importance of maintaining a good relationship between the Volunteer Coordinator and the Volunteers, starting with one–on–one meetings, and holding follow up meetings at regular intervals thereafter. Functions held especially for the volunteers are always popular as are handwritten birthday cards with coffee vouchers! And, yes, the importance of sitting around the dining table over ‘tea and bikkies’ is now clear to me. In fact, at the WA Medical Museum, this is where some of the most important decisions are made with everyone pitching in their own opinions on matters up for discussion. With National Volunteer Week coming up in May, what are some of the strategies your organisation uses to retain and recognise its volunteers? |
Posted by Lisa at 11:01 PM
 ‘The smell of the soil; the light and look of the land; the sounds of the environment supported by the soil, all these contribute to the individual relationship of person to place. All these evoke memory’ (UWA Perth International Arts Festival) Some of the most intriguing exhibitions are those that feature the unexpected. In Succinct Sixty–Word Soil Samples, the unexpected is the delight that small packages of soil can bring to the unsuspecting audience passing by the windows of the State Library of Western Australia. Developed by Sandy McCendrick, the exhibition involved inviting participants from around Western Australia to send in a small package of soil. Along with this package, participants also sent in a short description about the place they dug the soil from and it’s meaning to them. Many of the descriptions are heart–warming, with people truly passionate about their small piece of soil and the meanings and memories it has to them. My personal favourite is the description of some sand of ordinary appearance with the description as written by ‘Magic Max’s Dad’: ‘This is a sample of Max’s sand. Max who is 3 in April and a budding construction worker after his hero Bob the Builder. Why is this special for me? To the unitiated this is just white beach sand. But in Max’s world it’s castles, roads, oceans, a drawing board and on occasion chocolate cake, sandwiches and lemonade’ A sweet exhibition! |
Posted by Lisa at 10:13 PM
 Photograph by Maya Tjia(aka Mayabear) ‘This photo looks across at the Tate Gallery in Liverpool. The building also houses the Beatles Musuem which is understandably 'big' in Liverpool. July 2004’. Thankyou Maya! Tags: museum, museums, photos |
Posted by Lisa at 2:42 PM
| No overarching theme this time, just a grab– bag of museum and design goodness to brighten up your day. Museum blogs are ‘one in a million’ according to Ideum who have put together a handy list of blogs either run by or about museums. 62% of people in the US ‘aren’t exactly sure what a blog is’ writes the Financial Times citing figures from the survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. (Via Design Observer) Mario Bucolo, from Mario Bucolo Museums Blog has suggested that museum blog authors and their readers meet up for the Boston AAM conference. Unfortunately, I won’t be in attendance, but please let Mario know if you’re interested in the meet-up. A nice twist – an art critic’s ephemera on display in an art gallery. If you’re not tired of podcasts after the links I posted in the last Short and Snappy then consider downloading Art Meets Architecture in a Nomadic Museum and Permanent Villa featuring discussion on these museum designs by Shigeru Ban and Machado and Silvetti. Mark Thompson and Stephen Bowers’ describe how the Museum of Jurassic Technology, Los Angeles, functions to evoke both ‘wonder and apprehension’ in this thoughtful article. (A Museums Australia article via Assembly). These movie editing concepts for kids look fun – Movie Cards and Moving Pictures: Looking Out! Looking in! What inspires you? Psychoanalyst Adam Phillips on the subject of inspiration. More on inspiration, well more a brainstorming quick-fix really - Harvey Cards just ‘Cut ‘em out. Shuffle ‘em up. Start brainstormin’. (Via Core77). ‘AT one time or another, most serious artists fantasise about what they would put on display if they were in charge of a museum – the aesthete’s version of Dr. Seuss’ ‘If I Ran the Zoo’. So begins Richard Loos’ article in the New York Times on William Wegman’s ‘Museum’. Finally, a reminder to submit your photos to MODE for publication each Wednesday. Instructions on how to submit are here. Tags: museum, museums, design |
Posted by Lisa at 7:32 PM
 ‘Located on the second floor, just above the main staircase. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY’ Photo by rpongsaj. |
Posted by Lisa at 1:15 AM
| A School of Anatomy & Human Biology is probably the last place you would expect to find a hothouse of artists. But, enter this school at the University of Western Australia and you’ll discover that the corridors are lined with art. Take the stairs to the top floor and you’ll also find a cosy attic–like space, filled to the brim with artist’s workstations, a meeting space, random art and axolotls. This is SymbioticA – The Art and Science Research Laboratory. My friend Megan invited me to attend one of SymbioticA’s weekly meetings. Not being an artist or a scientist, I was a little unsure about what to expect, but I was interested in the interdisciplinary nature of the laboratory – being attracted to the idea that great things happen when different areas converge. One of the areas SymbioticA is particularly interested in is biological technologies. In the Tissue Culture and Art Project, artists use tissue as a medium, creating tissue engineered sculptures, such as in ‘The Pig Wings Project’ and ‘Semi-Living Worry Dolls’. In the latter, visitors to the website can send their worries to the dolls. As thought-provoking as the artworks themselves may be for the audience, ‘living’ and ‘semi-living’ sculptures also raises issues on how these artworks are to be conserved. Should museums collect art with ‘living’ components? Or does the museum become the keeper (as opposed to zookeeper) of a concept that can be assembled according to the artist’s plan? These are questions that museums and galleries must address if such works are to be conserved for future generations. Related Links: Artist Marta de Menezes works with biological technologies. In her installation ‘Nature?’ she displays butterflies that have all had one of their wings modified to her design. BBC on the ‘living sculpture’ parrot. |
Posted by Lisa at 1:11 AM
 ‘Western Australian Museum. I shot this while walking through the city, and was marvelling at how beautiful the day was that afternoon’. Thanks for your submission Jeff! |
Posted by Lisa at 9:38 PM
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