Creating Community Archives based on Interactions
and Interpretations of Inherent Vice
Inherent vice, also known as inherent fault, is the tendency in an object or material to deteriorate or self-destruct because of its intrinsic internal characteristics.
This project was born of conversations about how conservators and curators can make behind-the-scenes work more accessible. Though museums typically present meticulously mounted garments in clean, well-lit galleries, their storage closets are full of shattered silk, dry-rotted cotton, degraded net, and corroded beads—all examples of inherent vice
You can learn more about the exhibition here
Aim: To bring the viewer closer into the work and make them more curious to see how the garments have aged- I want them to engage with the materials, threads, beads, etc while also imagining the lives of the garments- the wearer, environment, context.
Garments displayed in the gallery at the RISD Museum
Inspecting the garments
The semester long course explored these gilded age garments and we delved into conversations about the death of a garment, how do they transform or degrade over time? Inanimate objects have lives and we as humans have a desire to preserve- so how can we engage in practices of preserving the ephemeral memory of garments?
Idea Development
Thinking about how museum goers would interact with the garments and my intervention, I created plans to make them question what they were viewing and reflect on their own practices of care.
The idea of care was central to my design: Physical and Emotional. I want people to think about how they care for objects and cultural belongings in the manner of time, value, cyclical trends, ethical practices, and acquisition means.
Gallery Intervention: Interactive flashcards in the gallery space for visitors to interact with.
The prompts guide participants to take a pause and LOOK at the garment closely. This interaction would spark WONDER to imagine their lives. Furthermore, how can this lens of careful reflection be adapted to their lives with the handling of their own belongings?
They are invited to use gallery safe materials such as color pencils to draw or write on the cards.
Using the QR code on the bottom right corner, they can share their works to the community archive which will then be displayed on the walls of the exhibition space for viewers to engage with- creating a collection of diverse stories.
Explore another intervention for the Inherent Vice exhibit here.