Whilst the art itself is of course amazing, I was less impressed by the exhibition design of Degas: A New Vision. The pieces themselves were carefully curated by Degas specialist Henri Loyrette and sourced from multiple collections around the world, but there is no fingerprint of the NGV in this show. Whilst I agree it is fantastic to see such famous works in person and to let each piece have its own breathing space, I felt the exhibition lacked a wow factor. I questioned the lack of striking audio-visual elements or interactive interpretative material. The only evidence of interpretative material apart from the normal labels and text panels was a corridor timeline. It seemed to be there as a connection between exhibition spaces and I felt in the way of other visitors when I stopped to read.
At the Monet’s Garden exhibition at NGV in 2013, I was able sit in front of different areas of a large touch screen and trace the life of Monet. I was able to click on images of his family, his gardens, read about world of impressionist art and engage with Monet the man. The most impressive highlight of Monet’s Garden was the giant 180 degree wraparound-type screen that took up an entire room to showcase footage of Monet’s gardens and house. This type of impact was lacking in Degas: A New Vision. It felt like the ‘next step’ was not taken by the curators at NGV – perhaps they were not allowed to due to strict guidelines imposed by Loyrette – but I think including other interpretive elements would have helped take the exhibition to the next level and engage a wider audience.
little ostraca 