The Museum of the Flat Earth: Curating as Art Practice?
When:
—
Venue:
Birkbeck 43 Gordon Square
No booking required
Throughout the 20th Century, artists have sought to be collected and exhibited by museums, and many have also presented critiques of the social and economic structures of museums. More recently, moving away from the expected role of the public art institution, a number of artists have appropriated the physical space, attributes, and authority of museums in the creation of their work, including Kay Burns’ Museum of the Flat Earth. Kay founded this Museum, located on Fogo Island in Newfoundland in 2016, as a repository and adaptation of many years of artistic research and practice.
The Museum combines fictional narrative, historical artefacts, and museological practices with creative performance and interpretation to provide a participatory experience for visitors. Kay will talk about how she came to create the Museum and will also be joined by James Mansfield, artist and PhD candidate at the University of Reading, for a discussion around how the Museum functions as a contemporary artwork and as a work of institutional critique.
Kay Burns is a multidisciplinary artist based in Fogo Island, Newfoundland (Canada). Her work includes performance art, sculpture, photography, audio, installation and locative media. Through her practice, she reinterprets local histories, mythologies, and eccentricities of site and society. A significant aspect of Burns’ research since 2002 has been the reinstatement of the defunct Flat Earth Society of Canada through her performance persona, Iris Taylor. This work has culminated in the creation of the Museum of the Flat Earth, which is both a non-profit museum and an evolving art installation. Her artwork has been presented internationally in Reykjavik, Amsterdam, Belfast, New York and Los Angeles; and across Canada from Dawson City, Yukon to St. John’s, Newfoundland. She previously held the post of curator at the Muttart Public Art Gallery in Calgary, and has taught at the University of Calgary Fine Arts Department and the Alberta University of the Arts.
Contact name:
Centre for Museum Cultures