Last week my Specific To Site studio class washeld at the Percy Grainger Museum in Parkville. At first I didn’t fully understand what it meant to be visiting the space, but as the exhibition went on, clarity was bestowed upon us.
We learnt about Percy Grainger; his accomplishments as a composer, musician, artist and designer. We learnt about his humanitarian beliefs, his interests in fitness and vegetarianism. We also learnt about his quirks and his kinks (BDSM).
However, we were mostly interested in the space that he built, for himself. It was an autobiographical museum – this means that it was a museum about himself that he constructed for the purpose of showcasing his accomplishments throughout his life. The space was a strange shape, it was the shape of a semi-circle and was built nearly entirely out of brick and concrete, it was completely white which gave it a spacious view, and on exhibition were all the instruments he used to play, pieces of clothes he had made and various photos of himself; some more interestingly displayed than others.
What was most interesting about this space was that it was mostly dedicated to Grainger’s musical accomplishments. However, throughout the space there was not much music being played – only the soft vibrance of a machine that spat out concerto after concerto. The array of musical instruments sat blankly and unused, which complimented the space they were displayed in but created a stark dichotomy against what the space was dedicated to.
This was my first glimpse into the idea of space and place and I must say I was absolutely intrigued by what we might be doing later in the unit. I’ve attached some photos from the trip.
