À Genève, la renversante leçon d’histoire de l’art de John M Armleder
The Musée d’Art et d’Histoire (MAH) in Geneva has unveiled its sixth "carte blanche" exhibition, curated by the influential Swiss artist John M Armleder. Following in the footsteps of figures like Ugo Rondinone and Wim Delvoye, Armleder was invited by museum director Marc-Olivier Wahler to mine the institution's vast collection of 800,000 objects. The resulting show defies traditional museum hierarchies by juxtaposing fine art with decorative objects, such as silver-topped corks and musical instruments, alongside Armleder's own prolific output of multiples.
This exhibition matters because it represents a radical shift in how encyclopedic museums engage with their archives to remain relevant in contemporary society. By allowing an artist known for his "Furniture Sculptures" and Fluxus-inspired subversion to curate the collection, the MAH challenges the rigid categorization of art history. The collaboration between Wahler and Armleder underscores a growing trend of artist-led curation as a tool for institutional institutional renewal and public engagement.