“Mmuseumm 2017” Exhibition

“Mmuseumm 2017” Exhibition

Mmuseumm

This event has ended.

Mmuseumm 1 is opening its fifth year of exhibitions on Thursday May 11, 2017 alongside sister Mmuseumm 2, both located in Cortlandt Alley in New York City.

Using its signature curatorial style Object Journalism - a new technique recently coined by journalist Rob Walker to describe Mmuseumm’s original approach to curation - Mmuseumm explores the modern world, current events, and humanity through the exhibition of vernacular objects. Mmuseumm organizes public exhibitions in its growing network of unexpected locations – transforming spaces into beloved cultural destinations and touring original exhibitions to other international museums and cultural institutions.

Mmuseumm co-founder and curator Alex Kalman, is experimenting with the intersection of journalism and curation. “Mmuseumm exhibitions are meant to provide the public with a humanistic understanding of who we are and the world we are living in,” said Kalman. “The exhibitions use a wide variety of objects to create compelling narratives about the world today.”

Along with the new 2017 season of exhibitions at Mmuseumm 1 and Mmuseumm 2, Sara Berman’s Closet a collaboration between writer and illustrator Maira Kalman and Alex Kalman originally organized at Mmuseumm in 2015, recently launched a world tour at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and is now on view through September 5, 2017.

Future Aleppo by 14-year-old Syrian refugee Mohammed Qutaish originally organized at Mmuseumm in 2016 will start its world tour on May 23 at Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. Mohammed reimagined his hometown of war-torn Aleppo and built a 3-D paper model city complete with roads, helipads, bridges, solar panels and pools. His new city symbolized both optimism and perseverance during a time of tragedy. Following the Skirball Cultural Center, Future Aleppo will be on display at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London as part of the Future Design Exhibition from May 19, 2018 – November 4, 2018.

Expanding on the concept of Object Journalism, Kalman has recently collaborated with The New York Times to publish Future Aleppo by Mohammed Qutaish as the first-ever, Op-Object – wherein thought provoking artifacts are presented to provide perspective and insight on current events and the modern world.

Opening May 11th, Mmuseumm 1, located in a former freight elevator, includes 17 exhibitions using vernacular objects giving viewers the opportunity to examine and humanize multifaceted stories, including a few highlights:

The Good, The Bad, The Ideal: from the collection of Jesse Krimes, samples of “perfect” pebbles wrapped in thread sourced from inmates in a maximum-security prison explore ideas relating to the formation of societal norms, value systems and broader hierarchical attempts to impose order on identity;
Insect Chic: offering the same amount of complete protein as animal meat, entrepreneurs are packaging, branding, and marketing edible insects for the mainstream, including a chocolate “chirp” cookie and earthworm jerky;
Modern Religion: a collection of religious tokens from various practices around the world which have adapted to modern times in order to appeal to all (or more) members, including objects such as a gluten-free Holy Communion wafer;
Unintentional Villains: facsimiles of objects, such as a lava lamp or selfie stick, that unintentionally caused premature death; complemented by -
Unintentional Heroes: facsimiles of objects, such as an underwire bra and jellybeans that unintentionally prevented the premature deaths;
Why so Cheap?: an exploration of why specific items sold as discounted or free to the public are considered more or less valuable by consumers;
Also on exhibit at Mmuseumm 1 includes Data Design, Stationary Store Doodles, Weak Hands, Go Kit, ISIS Currency, Fake Fast Food Franchises of Iran, Donald Trump Merchandise, Personal Items of Immigration, The Cornflake Index, plus items from Mmuseumm’s permanent collection and more.

Mmuseumm 2 hosts The Transparent Object from the archive of Cuban artist and designer, Ernesto Oroza. The Transparent Object uses over 50 homemade objects to explore how through creativity and cooperation, the people of Cuba repurposed objects and familiar materials into functional, everyday items during a time of severe scarcity of resources. Displayed on a multi-tiered rotating platform at Mmuseumm 2, items are categorized into kitchenware, home goods, electronics and fashion. The “Transparent Object” exhibit at Mmuseumm 2 exemplifies creative solutions during Cuba’s international isolation and domestic shortages.

“Mmuseumm is a gift to the public. With exhibitions open in an alley, at The Met, and soon in other countries while we also forming new and meaningful cultural partnerships – we are focused on developing compelling and original ways of storytelling,” said Kalman. “Figuring out how to grow Mmuseumm and work with other institutions to be more effective is an exciting challenge.”

Media

• Installation

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