After visiting the Warhol – Ai Weiwei exhibition at the NGV and talking with friends I realised how varied everyone’s opinion was. Although the majority of opinions were positive, I also found that some people did not like the exhibition at all. Some opinions focused on the art exhibited, other on the labels, the gallery space, the atmosphere of certain rooms, language, duration and the confrontation between the two artists. Arguably enough, the weather of the day of the visit, the company, own expectations and crowds also played an important role in everyone’s experience.
Similar to film festivals, where Dr. Stuart Richards –referencing Janet Harbord–argued that the local space of a film festival and its audience affects the subjectivity of the film (“The Queer Film Festival.” Lecture at The University of Melbourne, May 2016), an exhibition experience depends on external factors and its public as well.
The following audio track gathers some opinions from friends who visited the exhibition in their own time and agreed to briefly share their experience. All of them are masters students at the University of Melbourne, they have different cultural and professional backgrounds, ranging from AgroSciences to Politics and Arts, and they all liked and disliked different elements.
What did you like and didn’t like about Andy Warhol and Ai Weiwei exhibition at the NGV?
Music by Roberto Cavaco used with permission.
Featured image by Sheyla Reyes. Used with permission.
Art Power 