The Tate Britain art gallery in London had been making big alterations, like refurbishing rooms and rehanging galleries. However, their new show entitled “A Walk Through British Art” will reveal a very significant change. The gallery will no longer display explanations of pieces in the exhibit--no context, or unrequested tunnel vision. The museum will provide visitors an unguided experience.
The museum, which was known before 2000 as the National Gallery of British Art, always had texts displayed alongside works that caused outcry from art enthusiast. Some claim that the information was obtrusive to a visitor's experience, preventing people from gathering their own meanings from works and dissolving potential intimate connections to art. However the museum's new show will not have the texts.
Even further, the works representing over 500 years of British history are also being displayed chronologically. There isn't a hierarchical layout of the show, meaning every work has a chance to shine. Major works will be displayed indiscriminately alongside pieces that haven't gathered as much acclaim.
The new change may be great for those who found the texts obtrusive, however it's possible that opportunities for visitors to learn about British history will be lost. The exhibit brings up a great discussion about the fine line between too much context and not enough.
Some of the artists being displayed at the gallery are: Francis Bacon, John Constable, William Hogarth, Thomas Gainsborough, George Stubbs, JMW Turner, Stanley Spencer, LS Lowry, John Everett Millais, Bridget Riley, Damien Hirst, David Hockney, and Rachel Whiteread. Below is a video about the exhibit.
[via AnimalNewYork / TheTelegraph]
