Archiving the Impossible: Baruchello, Cornell, and Dion in Rome
The exhibition 'Archiviare l'impossibile' in Rome showcases the works of Gianfranco Baruchello, Joseph Cornell, and Mark Dion, who bring structure to disorder. Baruchello (born in Livorno, 1924) displays 'Interiority', a pink cabinet designed like a bust, alongside 'The young woman who lives in a birthday cake'. Cornell (Nyack, 1903 – New York, 1972) features a 1950s box containing a glass, marble, solar motion display, and a shell. Mark Dion (New Bedford, 1961) presents cabinets of curiosities, such as 'Xylotheque' (2011-12) and 'Field Station Honda', which include geological stones and assorted items. His work 'Between Voltaire and Poe' (2016) consists of busts, tin boxes, letters, and replicas of a dinosaur and a monster.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'Archiviare l'impossibile' in Rome features Gianfranco Baruchello, Joseph Cornell, and Mark Dion.
- Baruchello's 'Interiority' is a pink bust-shaped cabinet with drawers revealing tools, boats, and missile towers.
- Cornell's 1950s box includes a glass, marble, solar illustration, and shell.
- Dion's 'Xylotheque' for documenta 13 reprised Carl Schildbach's 530-volume Holzbibliothek (1771-1799).
- Dion's 'Field Station Honda' has two cases: one for geology (stones) and one for ethnology (objects and a cat).
- Dion's 'Between Voltaire and Poe' (2016) features busts of the writers and tin boxes with letters and objects.
- Baruchello was born in Livorno in 1924.
- Cornell was born in Nyack in 1903 and died in New York in 1972.
- Dion was born in New Bedford in 1961.
- The exhibition explores the attempt to archive the impossible through artistic taxonomies.
Entities
Artists
- Gianfranco Baruchello
- Joseph Cornell
- Mark Dion
- Carl Schildbach
Institutions
- documenta 13
Locations
- Rome
- Livorno
- Nyack
- New York
- New Bedford