NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART - OPENING EXHIBTION

The opening exhibition marks the first time the new and newly renovated building is shown to the public after years of construction. The exhibition design highlights the building’s character, commenting on it and slightly distorting it. The columns, as the connecting and identity-shaping element in both buildings, grow in size and become fat, almost monumental. In the new building, they shift ever so slightly, stepping out of line just enough to create a mix of familiarity and subtle irritation. Their increased scale allows them to host the artworks; visitors move from column to column, circling around them as they encounter the works. Despite their monumental size, the fabric covered columns add a layer of softness through color and material and improve the acoustics in the otherwise rather cold, drywall-dominated exhibition spaces.
To accommodate the large number of artworks without overwhelming visitors and to spark dialogue between different pieces, the exhibition walls serve as a second, more distanced mode of presentation. While the column takes on a singular, prominent role that spotlights specific works, the wall provides a more relaxed and informal way of showing them. A thin wall strip raises the artworks slightly off the floor, letting them lean casually against the wall.

curated by Adela Demetja