BRITISH MUSEUM | THE PASSPORT

The beginning

On Saturday 5th of september we visited an exhibition at the British Museum.

It was not the first time for me as a visitor but it was as an observer. Infact, we have been asked to look for interesting objects and prints to reproduce, discover and be inspired by. Different historical periods, populations, expressions and influences are grouped in this huge place.
In addition to observe the exhibition itself, I found interesting to focus of the surrounding environment like architectures, sounds, smells and the change of temperatures between different rooms.

British Museum, main entrance. Author's own.

British Museum, main hall. Author's own.

I have visited and observed two sections in particular: the Korean-American art and Ancient Italian and Greek art in Italy. Two completely different ages and populations which interested me to take some notes and drawings of some objects.  Here is an example of Korean-American art: Evolution/Revolution/Resolution by Nam June Palk (series of eight lithographs).

1. French revolutionary Marat. Part of the series "Evolution/Revolution/Resolution".

2. Sketch of the lithography in picture no1.

3. This is the complete series "Evolution/Revolution/Resolution" of lithographs made by Nam June Palk

When I saw these posters for the first time I immediately found them interesting. The placement of objects (televisions) used like a sort of collage to compose robots in different shapes and poses caught my attention.  The series tells about the French Revolution, just represented in a modern way and with the use of modern sources. How historical ages refer to each other is impressive to me. The French Revolution represented by an American-Korean artist in 1989. The result stunning. Each print represent a revolutionary or french historical character: Danton, Marat, Olympe de Gouges, Diderot, Voltaire, David, Rousseau and Robespierre (sequence from picture number 3). 

Another exhibition I found interesting at the British Museum was: "Ancient Italian and Greek art in Italy". I was particularly attracted from this part because it related to my origins, my past and the history of my people. Various sculptures and utensils were grouped here, but I suddenly focused on a daily-use object: Griffin's head amphora (picture below).

Amphora made in Apulia/Puglia a southern region of Italy about 360-350 BC, by the Apulian vases painter "Iliupersis". The reason I chose this item is because it made me reflect about the big differences between daily utensils in the past and nowadays. Today if we think of a cup, we only see its practical use which is to store water. This Apulian amphora looks more like an artefact or an ornament instead of a simple cup. 

I made some sketches of this cup because the difference between past and present I explained in the lines above unleashed some thoughts in my mind.

"Not only the use and the appearance of objects changed over time, but people and places had to adapt either".