Putting art on a different pedestal

In some contemporary art, the pedestal is as becoming as important as the work itself.
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Installation view of Nell’s work The Wake in the Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art at the Art Gallery of SA; courtesy the artist, photo ArtsHub

The museum case, or vitrine, is as old as the museum itself. It began with the practical function of keep an object safe from damage and theft. But it also presents an object as valuable, defining it within the museum context ​and adding a tone of authority.

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Gina Fairley is ArtsHub's National Visual Arts Editor. For a decade she worked as a freelance writer and curator across Southeast Asia and was previously the Regional Contributing Editor for Hong Kong based magazines Asian Art News and World Sculpture News. Prior to writing she worked as an arts manager in America and Australia for 14 years, including the regional gallery, biennale and commercial sectors. She is based in Mittagong, regional NSW. Twitter: @ginafairley Instagram: fairleygina