As some of you have noticed, things have been quiet at the Museum in recent months. The Director has been working part-time with irregular hours and frankly we feel he has not been giving the position the attention it deserves. Nevertheless we remain positive and confident that further developments will be visible soon.
Two recent events suggest that this is more than simply naive optimism. First, we were encouraged to receive an enquiry from a total stranger with a request for an appointment to visit the Museum. Second, the windows overlooking Swanston St have been cleaned.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
Get well Jeffrey
-
We were disturbed to learn this week of the illness of Jeffrey D. Wassmann, Kaufman Director of the Wassmann Institute, Washington, and an authority on the work of Johann Dieter Wassmann.
According to Sophie Vogt, Director of MuseumZeitraum Leipzig, Mr Wassmann suffered heart failure while on a visit to Australia and will undergo surgery in Melbourne next week. See http://museumzeitraum.blogspot.com/ for further information.
All of us at the Museum of Electrical Philosophy wish him a speedy recovery.
-
We were disturbed to learn this week of the illness of Jeffrey D. Wassmann, Kaufman Director of the Wassmann Institute, Washington, and an authority on the work of Johann Dieter Wassmann.
According to Sophie Vogt, Director of MuseumZeitraum Leipzig, Mr Wassmann suffered heart failure while on a visit to Australia and will undergo surgery in Melbourne next week. See http://museumzeitraum.blogspot.com/ for further information.
All of us at the Museum of Electrical Philosophy wish him a speedy recovery.
-
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Back to the Nicholas Building
And so we packed it all up and went on our way again.
Well not quite all. Face Crumpets Inwards has stayed at Latrobe Street for a while longer, only instead of hanging on an internal wall it now has a window seat, looking out to the street to amuse the passers-by. And interestingly after only a day or two in its new position it had aroused interest. According to our friend Bion, a couple came in and complained to him that it was setting a dangerous example to impressionable children who might be tempted to emulate the fork and spoon trick. And die. And even if it's art this was going Too Far.
This seems to raise a couple of interesting points. First, the nature of the work may have been changed by its physical position. When it was inside the white cube the context said this is art and normal rules may not apply; but put it in the window facing the street and for some people it's just an electrical appliance, same as in Myer's kitchen department where you can be sure they would not treat a serious matter like electrical safety so lightly.
Secondly, the motor in the toaster wasn't working that day so the kinetic effect was missing. That shouldn't really alter the work but I guess in combination with the street location it was another step towards looking like a dodgy cutlery holder rather than a not-drowning-waving entertainment.
As for the other pieces, they are mostly back in the Museum with the Foucault twins now installed in the door spot where the seem to be entertaining the other inhabitants of the 6th floor, not to mention Andre's jewellery customers, and Dimitri and Tim in the lifts.
Well not quite all. Face Crumpets Inwards has stayed at Latrobe Street for a while longer, only instead of hanging on an internal wall it now has a window seat, looking out to the street to amuse the passers-by. And interestingly after only a day or two in its new position it had aroused interest. According to our friend Bion, a couple came in and complained to him that it was setting a dangerous example to impressionable children who might be tempted to emulate the fork and spoon trick. And die. And even if it's art this was going Too Far.
This seems to raise a couple of interesting points. First, the nature of the work may have been changed by its physical position. When it was inside the white cube the context said this is art and normal rules may not apply; but put it in the window facing the street and for some people it's just an electrical appliance, same as in Myer's kitchen department where you can be sure they would not treat a serious matter like electrical safety so lightly.
Secondly, the motor in the toaster wasn't working that day so the kinetic effect was missing. That shouldn't really alter the work but I guess in combination with the street location it was another step towards looking like a dodgy cutlery holder rather than a not-drowning-waving entertainment.
As for the other pieces, they are mostly back in the Museum with the Foucault twins now installed in the door spot where the seem to be entertaining the other inhabitants of the 6th floor, not to mention Andre's jewellery customers, and Dimitri and Tim in the lifts.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Gallery report (2)
NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE
Exhibits from the Museum of Electrical Philosophy
As predicted in an earlier posting, an exhibition of selected works from the Museum of Electrical Philosophy is now open at Latrobe Street Gallery. Last week was spent in construction and installation - the stuff that always takes longer than I think it will - but that's what deadlines are for and as always it was met even if I didn't do quite everything I had planned.
Details: Latrobe Street Gallery, 301 Latrobe St, Melbourne (between Queen and Elizabeth). Open 11-5 (often 10-6), Monday-Friday, until 24 April. Phone (03) 9606 0933.
The post below has some images from the show - a bit quick and dirty but they will do for now.
Gallery report (1)
NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE
Exhibits from the Museum of Electrical Philosophy
Dimensions variable
2. History of the Electric Mixer Part 1: the Incredible Lightness of Beating
60 x 60 x 30 cm
60 x 240 x 30 cm
4—6. The Foucault Structuralism Series starring the incredible Foucault twins Léon (1819-68) and Michel (1926-84)
60 x 60 x 30 cm
60 x 60 x 30 cm
60 x 60 x 30 cm
60 x 60 x 30 cm
8. History of the Electric Mixer Part 2: Semak anticipates the microwave oven
60 x 60 x 45 cm
9. Face Crumpets Inward
60 x 60 x 45 cm
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Open for business again
Well gosh, look at the time. Has it really been that long between postings? In that time there have been a couple of impatient knockings on the virtual door but I figured if I ignored them they might go away.
Anyway the silence here does not mean the Museum has been inactive. On the contrary, the staff have been quite busy preparing new exhibits for a forthcoming exhibition, details of which will follow (but not today).
Meanwhile, here are a couple of recently completed works. What you can't see from these images is that these are both kinetic devices. Yes they move, but not too fast, about 3 cycles per minute.
Figure 1: Henry's Toaster. Alert visitors will notice a superficial similarity to Hooke's Toaster (qv).
Figure 2: Untitled (10 dervishes).
Anyway the silence here does not mean the Museum has been inactive. On the contrary, the staff have been quite busy preparing new exhibits for a forthcoming exhibition, details of which will follow (but not today).
Meanwhile, here are a couple of recently completed works. What you can't see from these images is that these are both kinetic devices. Yes they move, but not too fast, about 3 cycles per minute.
Figure 1: Henry's Toaster. Alert visitors will notice a superficial similarity to Hooke's Toaster (qv).
Figure 2: Untitled (10 dervishes).
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