The Zeitz MOCAA is FREELY Available
- Did you know that kids get into the Zeitz MOCAA gallery for free (Free entry for under 18s on presentation of ID)?
- Did you know that all citizens of Africa get into the gallery for free on Wednesday (between 10 am and 1 pm for all African citizens on presentation of you South African ID or African passport)?
- Did you know that during your birthday month the Zeitz MOCAA is free on any day (show us your valid South African ID or African passport reflecting your birth date)?
- Did you know that for the price of an entry ticket you can become a member and enjoy unlimited access to the gallery, the members lounge and loads of behind the scenes events.?
Behind the Scenes at the Zeitz MOCAA
On a wintry Friday night I headed to the Zeitz to hear a “members talk” on curating art. What happens if a visitor damages an art installation? What happens if an artwork is damaged in transit? Who is responsible for art that is damaged in storage? Honestly, a whole lot of questions were raised about things, that as a frequent visitor, I had never even thought about before.
I am just going to mention that the service in the member’s lounge, the snacks and treats are very much worth a mention. Wine sponsored by Hazendal, and your evening is good to go.
Meet Lee Burgers, Collection Manager and Registrar at the Zeitz Mocaa
Talk about the right person for the job, the most animated and interesting presentation on The Secret Life of Art. It was the second presentation in a series on behind the scenes at the gallery, and now I can’t wait for more. Questions were raised… asked and answered, let’s start at the beginning:
Documentation
Museums have protocols and policies in place to protect and preserve their valuable artworks, not just for visitors, but for future generations, to learn and discover the nature of their heritage. This is an important job and every artwork that enters or leaves the gallery has very detailed and specific paperwork attached to it.
The conservation team not only has to protect the art they have, but they have to be proactive and think about potential problems in the future. If you consider that about half of the works in the gallery are from the permanent collection, and the rest are on loan… then care during storage and transport of artworks becomes critical too. They write Detailed condition reports: An incoming report, an update report and an outgoing report. Documenting all the tiny observations on an artwork, scratches, dents, possible damage from a previous display or journey.
Every Museum’s Worst Nightmare
Turns out the biggest threat to modern art galleries is the selfie, so many folk teeter-tottering next to priceless artworks. I must be the last person to hear about the disaster, when Italian Artist’s Nicolo Bolo’s “Van Gogh’s Chair” was left unattended, momentarily at Palazzo Maffei in Verona, Italy. A visitor sat on the crystal chair, and of course serious damage was done. You have to believe I dashed home to find out all about it.
That being said, accidents do happen… artworks do get bumped and knocked, and while a lot of art is designed to be interacted with… perhaps a little “less than more” interaction, would be the best protocol.
Interacting is one thing, sitting on art is quite another. It is the gallery’s responsibility to connect with the artist in the hope of a repair, not to mention insurance to cover the cost of the repairs.
Best response, in case you are ever responsible for “accidentally sitting” on an artwork, report your mistake and admit responsibility, immediately.
What About Art in Storage or Transit?
And the case of the bugs lurking in the frame… I tell you by this part of the evening I felt like we were part of an action mystery plot, with The Search for the Elusive Bug. As a particular artwork travels from country to country, galleries are always on the look out for accidental and incidental damages. A tiny dead beetle was spotted in the frame of a traveling art piece. A deep search, unwrapping, unpacking, reframing and the artwork was good to continue it’s journey. Only, after several months and several trips, another beetle was spotted.
A little research in a Swiss laboratory, and the tiny culprit was unearthed. This led to the next question, what is the modern protocol for removing bugs and beetles from artwork? We know better than to spray artwork with toxic chemicals, and it turns out that the best solution, is a carefully formulated saline solution.
Going Forwards
The interesting, ethical question raised: Do we conserve and protect, or do we let art take it’s own natural journey? Is fading with age, cracks and wrinkles part of the natural time travel of a piece, or do we protect it in it’s original form in a time-capsule?
I love visiting the Zeitz MOCAA and what it means to the art community of Cape Town. I am really looking forward to the next “Behind the Scenes” visit.