Burning Questions

Interviewed at the Cincinnati Art Museum (CAM)

 

As the exhibit curator, how did you go about planning the space and how many rooms will the exhibit extend through? How will it differ from the layout at the Smithsonian? 

DB: (These two questions overlap for me). I must give credit to Nora Atkinson, who curated the exhibition for the Renwick gallery. It was her intention to bring the art of the Playa to a larger stage and amongst other things, she suggests that there is plenty of interesting work made by many people who don’t consider themselves artists or operate outside art’s commercial venues. She tailored the exhibition to fit the Renwick’s 19th century spaces. By contrast, CAM is 6.5 times larger and has a massive collection on view that prevents us from using a series of contiguous galleries. So the exhibition is placed in various spaces throughout the museum's collections. I personally found that both a challenge and an opportunity—a way to make conversations take place between the show and the museum’s collections. In all, we are using ten galleries; eleven if you count the Temple that is being constructed outdoors by Samantha Krukowski (DAAP), her students at UC and volunteers.

 

What made you think this particular exhibit would make a good fit for CAM and in Cincinnati?

DB: Although the year-long exhibition schedule for the museum was all set, (CAM Director) Cameron Kitchin visited the exhibition at the Renwick and immediately began a conversation to bring it here. That was a bold decision. Rightfully so, he and I knew it would upend expectations; that it celebrates the creative spirit in a different way; has the ability to shift the dialogue as to what is art, who makes it, how can we engage with it, can and how does a museum operate within the Burning Man principles, how might that affect the way that a museum operates. CAM is the perfect place for No Spectators: a midway stop between coasts; an encyclopedic museum with a large collection that has the ability and drive to bring in exhibitions of all sizes that cover a huge range, from the historical to contemporary; showcasing some of the greatest achievements of human creative endeavors.

 

In what ways were you inspired by the exhibit or by Burning Man itself?

DB: I’ve known about Burning Man since the early 90s; in fact, when I was the curator of the Contemporary Arts Center here (96-99), I proposed a year-long project of artistic interventions using some of the artists from Burning Man. So this project and my involvement with it and Cincinnati go back quite a bit. When you are out on the Playa, this temporary city inspires curiosity, involvement, and serendipity and encourages you to be open to new experiences. On a whim, I joined the Playa Choir, a 50-member ensemble that performed at the Temple at sunrise on the burn morning, with live accompaniment and a sound system that took the form of a two-story rolling Gothic Church. That experience for me was first of all, a total surprise, and second profoundly emotional and spiritual. These kinds of experiences happen all the time out in the desert and are just part of the reason why people come from all over the globe to attend. Can you also imagine a caring community that operates outside of commercialization when everyone is accepted for who they are; where you can radically express yourself? Its magical, inspiring, and you begin to question what we can do to share that kind of living with everyone we know.

 

What has been your favorite part curating this exhibit and what do you hope visitors will take away from it?

DB: Museums are places for reflection and engagement. The art we encounter when we visit can and does take many forms. We witness that whenever we visit a museum, gallery (or any other place). What art is and should be is a constant debate as the making of it continues to evolve. Burning Man grants anyone who wants to create, the permission to dream and the art that is created, no matter in what form, is the realized evidence of that. The art that is made for the desert reflects not only the 10 Guiding Principles of the organization’s philosophy but is as one writer penned shows 'unmitigated experimentation, pushing the boundaries for audience participation, curiosity, and engagement.’ The work in No Spectators gives us a mere glimpse of the creative output one encounters on the playa. It acts as an introduction to many of these artists/creatives who operate outside of the confines of the art market; who make work for the sheer enjoyment of others. Many don’t consider themselves artists and come from all sorts of backgrounds, sometimes communally. Art is never created in a vacuum and here we will find references to other art forms and art movements. We will also find areas where the visual arts and technology merge. Some of the work in No Spectators is playful, doesn’t take itself too seriously, and above all is meant to be shared.

 

What does the title and saying ‘No Spectators’ mean to you?

DB: Pretty self-explanatory. It’s one of many sayings you hear out on the Playa that refers to how you interact with everyone and everything on the desert floor, including the art. Physically experience it in a meaningful way; be a part of it. No bystanders please!

 

Some of the art in the exhibition can be touched, some of it needs your interaction; most of it is experiential in a way that we are not accustomed to in museums. 

 

David J Brown

March, 2019