Today, the complexities of art handling and the setting in which museums present art was further explored. After visiting the museum, this topic was especially relevant. Dr. Plesch pointed out that often times works are presented in a totally different setting than where they were created. This causes a loss of meaning/feeling for the viewer. Dr. Plesch used the comparison of polar bears. These animals live in arctic climates but are sometimes moved to zoos. While visitors get to see the animals, they miss out as zoos are vastly different than the arctic. This same issue can be found while presenting art. For example, even though Giotto’s fresco in the Arena Chapel is still presented in the actual chapel, over the years many different renovations and changes have happened in the space. One can even see where these changes were made looking at a picture of the Arena Chapel.
Looking forward to the midterm and eventual final, I plan to think about how I can create the most authentic experience for my show. I will have to think about structural layout critically and will continue to think about how other museums are working on providing the best possible visit for their members.