Shelf LifeCurators: Tami Kats-Freiman and Rotem Ruff

Haifa Museum of Art

6.2-17.7.2010

The current exhibition cluster is concerned with heterogeneous aspects of
collecting as a way of remembering and commemorating, an expression of
.nostalgic longing or of an urge to create order, and a personal obsession
,Some see collecting as a “disease” that reflects a compulsive addiction
while others consider it to be a therapeutic pursuit, a form of occupational
therapy. Many compare collecting to putting together a puzzle, a process in
.which the absence of a single part prevents the image from becoming whole
At times, “die-hard” collectors are willing to go to the end of the world to
.find the missing piece
If in earlier centuries collecting was the pursuit of the moneyed, our age
is the golden age of collectors. With the rise of Internet commerce, anyone
can auction off their old belongings online rather than disposing of them
,in the trash. Some collectors tend to focus on the process of renovating
restoring and preserving the objects they own. As one “infected” with the
disease of collecting,” I can personally attest to the great pleasure I take”
in performing such actions. I would rather spend my time restoring objects
to life than accumulating ones that may be bought in good shape, and traded
.for their full price
This exhibition cluster points to the preoccupation of many contemporary
artists with collecting as an artistic strategy - a preoccupation motivated
.either by a thrust to collect or by a theoretical concern with this subject
An artistic interest in collecting is given expression in a wide range of
contexts, which are reflected in the central exhibition, “Shelf Life.” They
include an examination of remembering and commemorating, of systems of
classification and display in various cultural and critical contexts, and
more. The current exhibition cluster also explores several aspects of the
Haifa Museum of Art’s collections, with the aim of introducing them to the
public. These exhibitions come together to offer a multilayered and rich
.experience, which brings together past and present.

Nissim Tal

Director General

Haifa Museums