A non-exhibition at the V&A

Submitted by Anon on 7 April, 2007 - 11:19

Joe Stevens reviews Uncomfortable Truths — the shadow of slave trading on contemporary art and design at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London

The uncomfortable truth is this is hardly an exhibition, especially when compared to the bizarre acre of museum space in the main room of the V&A given over to Kylie, a pop star!

For anyone remotely political it’s nigh-on impossible not to do a compare and contrast exercise and I suppose, therefore, be somewhat distracted from an already disparate series of works by eleven black artists.

The works include video, sculpture, painting and poetry, and have been placed throughout the museum. According to the curator “the works… are shown in dialogue with the Museum’s architecture and permanent collections.” The intention being to “allow us [the V&A] to inject the legacy of the slave trade into highly visible locales that specifically relate to British Empire around the museum.”

That’s as maybe, and to be fair it does work for one or two pieces: Yinka Shonibare’s headless period figure in African wax print textiles, “Sir Foster Cunliffe Playing”, for example,. This piece is startling, in a glossy magazine advert type of way, set in the grandeur of a highly decorative and ornate room. But overall impact is lost because of the decision to place works in this way and if you go especially to see this “exhibition” you can feel like you’re on a bit of treasure hunt.

What really irks is that those dull enough to make the pilgrimage to see Kylie: the exhibition — with its 58 dresses, gold hot-pants, CD covers, huge video and, no kidding, a mock up of her dressing room at the Wembley Arena — will no doubt leave feeling fully satisfied.

The V&A was, according to the curator, the “first museum in the world to have education as its primary purpose.” Under the first director, Henry Cole, the museum began late night viewings in 1857, five years after it opened, so that “ordinary workers” might attend. If you’re an ordinary worker in 2007, use what little spare time you have to do something more interesting. The only real thing in favour of this non-exhibition is that there’s no mention of William Wilberforce.

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