Could you explain the relationship between the Davis
its presentation at explain the Generalitat de Catalunya (the regional the Davis Could you the relationship between Museum and the Brazilian anthropophagy movement? government), I hesitated; removed the adjective ‘Anthropophagic’ Museum and the IBrazilian anthropophagy movement? and thus emphasised the contemporary artentitled collection of Anthropophagic the Davis At the beginning, the museum was The At the beginning, the museum was entitled The Anthropophagic Museum. adjective the title is absent, ideathis of was a DavisAlthough Lisboa the Museum ofinContemporary Arttheand Davis Lisboa Museum of Contemporary Art and this was a ‘swallowing an alien culture” indirectly persists. way to update, to follow a string in the modern Brazilian art
way to update, to follow a string in the modern Brazilian art tradition. A museum that “symbolically devours the work and tradition. A museum that “symbolically devours the work and Whatmetabolizes criteria do you useto to select the works? it usually in order transform it into a new culture.” metabolizes it in order to transform it into a new culture.” This idea has been misunderstood by most of the artists. This idea hasand been misunderstood by most of the artists. The quality work the ideas very important. TheCatalunya pieces So forofits presentation toare the Generalitat de (the So for its presentation to the Generalitat de Catalunya (the should be able government), to create a dialogue with otherIworks from the regional I hesitated, removed the adjective regional I hesitated, removed the collection, and government), must be contemporary in formIand content. The adjective “Anthropophagic” and thus checked the contemporary art “Anthropophagic” and thus checked the contemporary art ‘style’ of having been produced by the end of the 20th century collection of Davis Museum. Although the adjective in the title collection and early 21st. of Davis Museum. Although the adjective in the title is absent, the idea of “swallowing the alien culture” indirectly is absent, the idea of “swallowing the alien culture” indirectly persists on it. on it.how to display the Davis Museum? How persists do you decide What do you use to choose works? Just like the criteria Boîte-en-valise andusually Galerie Légitime, the Davisthe What criteria do you usually use to choose the works? Museum a museum in miniature andcurriculum is portable. are However The isquality of work and the verythe important. The quality of work and the curriculum are very important. DavisThen Museum a ‘fluid’ museum which take ainfinite forms the is piece should be able to can create dialogue with other the piece should be able Art to create a dialogue with other such Then as cardboard toys (DTAM I, Davis Toy Museum I), a plastic works of the collection and must be contemporary in form and works of the collection and must be contemporary in form and toy (DTAM II, Davis Toy Museum II), abeen sculpture of lead by (DLM, content. ThatArt “style” of having produced the end of content. That “style” of having by the Davislast Lead Museum), pedestal (DTWM,been Davis produced Tower Museum) or end of century anda early 21st. last century and early 21st. a rock (DRM, Davis Rock Museum). So for me, the challenge is to constantly adapt the museum to changing environments.
How do you decide how to display the Davis Museum? How do you decide how to display the Davis Museum? Just as the Boîte-en-Valise and Galerie Légitime, the Davis Just asFischer the Boîte-en-Valise and1982). Galerie Légitime, the Davis Agustín R. Díez Aires, BA in Art History,however Museum is a (Buenos museum inArgentina, miniature and portable, the Museum is Aires. a museum miniature portable, University of Buenos Interviewin realized by Skypeand on July 30th, 2011however the Davis Museum as partDavis of a PhDMuseum research supported by the CONICET. forms, as a cardboard toys (DTAM I, Davis Art Toy Museum I), forms, as a cardboard toys (DTAM I, Davis Art Toy Museum I), a plastic toy (DTAM II, Davis Art Toy Museum II), a sculpture a plastic toy (DTAM II, Davis Art Toy Museum II), a sculpture of lead (DLM, Davis Lead Museum), a pedestal (DTWM, Davis of lead (DLM, Davis Lead Museum), a pedestal (DTWM, Davis Tower Museum) or a rock (DRM, Davis Rock Museum). So, Tower Museum) or a rock (DRM, Davis Rock Museum). So, for me, the challenge is to constantly adapt the museum to for me, the challenge is to constantly adapt the museum to changing environments. changing environments. Agustín R. Díez Fischer (Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1982). BA in Art History, Agustín Fischer Aires, Argentina, 1982). BA in Art History, UniversityR.ofDíez Buenos Aires.(Buenos Interview realized by University of Buenos Aires.asInterview by Skype on July 30th, 2011 part of arealized PhD research Skype on July 30th, 2011 as part of a PhD research supported by the CONICET. supported by the CONICET.
DAVIS MUSEUM The Davis Lisboa Mini-Museum of Contemporary Art in Barcelona The smallest contemporary art museum in the world!
www.davismuseum.com
Museum Show 24 Sep – 19 Nov 2011 Arnolfini Bristol, UK www.arnolfini.ork.uk
“MY ART IS TO LEAVE A SPACE TO BE OCCUPIED BY ARTISTS WHERE THEY CAN SHINE FOR THEMSELVES” David Lisboa defines his art in this way. He is the creator and director of the Davis Museum – The Davis Lisboa Mini-Museum of Contemporary Art. Since 2009, the ‘smallest museum in the world’ has orgnanised exhibitions of contemporary art in a plexiglas ballot box of 7.8 x 7.8 x 7.8 inches. Designed as a low cost institution, with low cost production and shipping of works, it exhibits artists from as far afield as Brazil, Iran, US and France.
Hal Foster, Rosalind Krauss, Yve-Alain Bois and Benjamin H.D. Buchloh. In that book, I noticed how the work Boîte-en-valise by Marcel Duchamp opened an un-explored field and how 30 years later, Robert Filliou worked to advance this approach to art. I was just reading about his Galerie Légitime when I had a ‘revelation’. In a few seconds, a whole series of ideas for the Davis Museum came to my mind, like a waterfall. If the Boîte-en-valise contained miniature works by Duchamp, and Galerie Légitime exhibited works by artist friends of Filliou, then the Davis Museum would exhibit works by artists in both a physical form and a virtual one. It would be a kind of social art network that would highlight its contemporary context.
What are the components of the Davis Museums projects? The project has a physical aspect and virtual one. The first includes the display of the permanent collection in museums, biennials, galleries or at the Davis Museum’s showroom in Barcelona. Here the Davis Tower Museum, a ballot box on a white pedestal is displayed. Every four months a miniature work by a different artist is exhibited. How is the virtual side of the museum developed? In the virtual sphere, we include the installations in 3D at the Karura Art Centre Museum located in Second Life. Interviews, photos, events and the online flyers are sent to the mailing list of the Davis Museum. A video is published on YouTube on the occasion of each exhibition; this video works as a shared creation between the exhibiting artists and myself creating the video. This information forms an open archive of works of art by a selection of artists of the late 20th and early 21st century. Describe the genesis of the Davis Museum? After twelve years studying Fine Arts at the University of Barcelona, I decided to take some time to read all those books that I had not had the time to read so far. One of those books was Art since 1900, modernism, antimoderism, postmodernism by
What was the logic of choosing a ballot box as the museums ‘architecture’? It’s clear that the ‘architecture’ of the Davis Museum is a readymade, a slightly modified industrial object that flirts with minimalism and (dangerously) with advertising. But overall, I would like to pose a political reading of the art system which does nothing but prevent the direct involvement of artists in institutions. My intention was to propose a new way of organising a museum of contemporary art through a citizen’s initiative using digital communication platforms, and thus collectively create public value. The museum is a ballot box so when an artist decides to donate a work, this, in a sense, gives a vote of confidence to the Davis Museum’s project and fulfils its social function, disseminating the art of artists involved. Could you explain the relationship between the Davis Museum and the Brazilian anthropophagy movement? At the beginning, the museum was called The Anthropophagic Davis Lisboa Museum of Contemporary Art and this was a way to update a tendency in the modern Brazilian art tradition. A museum that “symbolically devours the work and metabolises it in order to transform it into a new culture.” This idea has been misunderstood by most of the exhibiting artists. So for