The Impermanence of Things

Description

What questions are raised by ethnographic collections at the beginning of the 21st century, and how are these still relevant for interpreting our present? How can we account for the richness of Neuchâtel ethnographic heritage without confining it to a chronological, geographical, ethnic, or functional logic? How to valorize a very contrasted and diversified collection without merely displaying the masterpieces it contains? In the form of poetic tableaux scattered throughout the Villa de Pury and called to evolve independently of each other, the MEN team opens as many recent files and associates them with contemporary questions involving the history of the Institution, the ghosts it harbors, the issues it covers, and the social practices it analyzes. Each section presents significant samples of old and recent collections, allowing numerous crossovers and associations of ideas, and employs various means of perspective, whether it be telescoping, aestheticization, saturation, mise en abyme, or critical reflection. In doing so, the designers remind us that human beings and the material goods they exchange are constantly transforming, just like the way we look at them; they thus fit into a dynamic primarily emphasizing the impermanence of things.

Highlights

• Exhibition on the impermanence of ethnographic collections
• Presentation of poetic tableaux in the Villa de Pury
• Exploration of contemporary issues related to heritage

General Information

The exhibition 'The Impermanence of Things' is held at the MEN - Museum of Ethnography of Neuchâtel. It questions the relevance of ethnographic collections in the 21st century through various presentations and critical reflections on heritage.

Location

Rue de Saint-Nicolas 4, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland

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