Tag: marwencol

by Oscar Banegas, Curatorial Intern

When I began working alongside Senior Curator Valérie Rousseau in the American Folk Art Museum (AFAM) curatorial department, I was eager to learn more about art history and culture. However, I wondered about the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic would affect my experience here at AFAM. Initially, I thought this internship would take place entirely remotely. Then, I became aware that my very first interactive experience would be an in-person visit to the PHOTO│BRUT : Collection Bruno Decharme & Compagnie exhibition during the early stages of its installation. During my free time, I’ve always enjoyed visiting museums, so witnessing this moment from its beginning phase up until its completion was an invigorating experience, especially after a year like 2020.

Once on site, I observed the preparatory process, notably when art handlers made measurement marks on the walls and leveled the works. This behind-the-scenes moment made me more aware of the vigorous time and effort needed to present art to a museum’s viewers. Throughout that day, I skimmed the entire space with Valérie. We talked about the artists and their works, as well as the steps that take place to carefully plan and assemble an exhibition. I quickly learned the importance of checklists and how efficient they can be for the teams involved with the projects. I was also tasked with an assignment to help organize a display of Miroslav Tichý’s photographs before they would be hung. Not only does it take time and effort, but precision and attention to detail are important parts of what make these exhibits successful. Overall, my visit with Valérie at the Museum was a learning and formative experience.

PHOTO│BRUT introduced me to a new realm of self-taught artists using photography, and expanded my view towards other types of media, including collages and photomontages. My favorite works are by Mark Hogancamp, whose series of photos present his makeshift town called Marwencol and its main characters. It is fascinating to see how he used action figures to portray stories over various scenes. He did an incredible job in detailing the wardrobe and arranging the different figures in various environments. His search for realism brings these narratives to life. Many artworks in this exhibition connect us to the storyline of the artists themselves.

I am thankful to have had this opportunity to collaborate with Valérie and to learn about the artworks presented in PHOTO│BRUT. I look forward to being involved in more projects later on in the year.