Within the artsy world, there's a topic that hasn't received much attention in the past, mainly because it's a dirty subject that's got nothing to do with sexual repression--we love talkin' about that!--but nonetheless makes people murmur, "Uncomfortable," under their breath. It is the matter of the damaging impact we have on the environment by transporting works of art all over the planet for exhibition.
No doubt, we do this for important reasons of artistic and cultural enrichment, but the common modes of transportation operate on fossil fuels and the material utilized to protect the work--crating, packing, etc.--are not always composed of recycled and/or recyclable stuff.
Well, The Chipstone Foundation of Fox Point, WI has come up with some ideas to address this problem, offering up cleaner ways to move and present artwork, while at the same time introducing examples of new sustainable design through its Green Furniture exhibition, opening today at the Milwaukee Art Museum (MAM). Hurray!
A joint effort of Ethan Lasser, curator at Chipstone Foundation, and Hongtao Zhou, a Madison-based artist, Green Furniture went through all the planning, organizational and implementation stages with a "green" eye. The use of smoothed wood pulp--also known as paper--has been kept to a minimum, labels and platforms for the exhibit are made of only recycled materials, and those oh-so energy hungry lights that are fretted over endlessly when setting up a show are electronically activated, thereby reducing their binge eating and leaving some leftovers on the grid.
The manner in which the works were transported to MAM was given careful thought as well. Crating and packing material was cut back as much as possible, and most works didn't have to travel long distances. Ground transportation was the primary mode of movement, including the Badger Bus from Madison--hey, it's coming here anyway and is loaded with passengers, too!--and every possible effort was made to avoid single-purpose vehicles--ya know, a whole truck empty save the artwork.
The exhibition's designer Mike Mikulay even biked to and from Lake Bluff, IL to move a piece--that's 120 miles total, folks!--and his arrival is documented at right. Shortly following that photo op, he was reportedly rushed to The Center for the Environmentally Conscious Art Obsessed for rapid treatment. Hehe! No, that's not true and don't you believe a word of it.
Anyhoo, the Green Furniture exhibition opens today and runs straight through March 14, 2010 at MAM. It'll make your insides feel all warm and green! And don't be afraid to interact with the pieces on the display, kids, they want you to.
(Thanks, Claudia & Ethan!)
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