Museum collections are made up of objects that tell a story about our society and culture, but how these stories are told often depends upon who has access to those objects in the first place. The Manitoba Crafts Museum and Library (MCML) recognizes a failing within their organization in regards to works made by racialized peoples and in the museum’s role as a gatekeeper of those objects. In an initial step on the road toward reconciliation, “Collections Agency” exhibits work by makers Adriana Alarcón, Jessie Jannuska, Naila Janzen, Jocelyn Piirainen, and Lin Xu created in response to objects held within the museum’s trust. In this case, the title of “Collections Agency” is meant as one invoking the spirit of revisiting, reclaiming, and rematriating cultural objects and craft concepts from museums and gatekeepers though the active agency of a collective group of creative makers.
Curated by:
Jenny Western and Allison Yearwood
Artists:
Adriana Alarcón
Jessie Jannuska
Naila Janzen
Jocelyn Piirainen
Lin Xu
Collections Agency Catalogue
Collection Agency Exhibition Tour
Les collections au prisme de l’agentivité visite de L’exposition
Collection Agency Artist Talk
