Jean-Hubert Martin's 'Draw Your Own Conclusion' radically reinterprets Geneva's Musée d'Art et d'Histoire collection
Jean-Hubert Martin, the curator, has been granted full creative liberty to reinterpret the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire in Geneva through the exhibition 'Pas Besoin d'un Dessin' (Draw Your Own Conclusion), which will be on display from 28 January to 19 June. This exhibition showcases more than 500,000 items, such as fine art, textiles, and historical weaponry. Martin, recognized for the 1989 'Magiciens de la Terre' exhibition, organizes the pieces based on visual and thematic links, deliberately sidestepping current discussions on decolonization. Notable contrasts include a medieval broadsword positioned alongside a Kanaga mask and Malevich's 1923 woodcut. The exhibition challenges conventional curatorial practices, juxtaposing Amish quilts with Genevan flags and delving into themes ranging from love to hate. Museum director Marc-Olivier Wahler invited Martin for this innovative reimagining.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'Pas Besoin d'un Dessin' (Draw Your Own Conclusion) runs from 28 January to 19 June
- Curator Jean-Hubert Martin was given carte blanche by museum director Marc-Olivier Wahler
- Features selections from over 500,000 works in Geneva's Musée d'Art et d'Histoire collection
- Martin previously curated the influential 1989 exhibition 'Magiciens de la Terre' at Centre Pompidou
- Works are grouped by visual and thematic affinities rather than chronology or department
- Includes objects ranging from fine art and decorative arts to textiles, jewelry, and antique weaponry
- Exhibition avoids direct engagement with decolonization debates while offering alternative to politicized reinterpretations
- Features juxtapositions like medieval broadswords with tribal masks and Malevich's Suprematist Cross
Entities
Artists
- Jean-Hubert Martin
- Kazimir Malevich
- John M. Armleder
- Richard Long
- Marc-Olivier Wahler
Institutions
- Musée d'Art et d'Histoire
- Centre Pompidou
- Palais de Tokyo
- ArtReview
Locations
- Geneva
- Switzerland
- Pennsylvania
- United States