Title of the research: Carrier Bag Project
Participants:
Dr Marina Velez Vago (Argentina)
Julieta Aranda (Mexico)
Using as a starting point The Carrier Bag Theory of Evolution by E. Fisher and the Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction by U. K. Le Guin, this interdisciplinary project brings together the arts, philosophy, archaeology and anthropology in a conversation around decolonial and feminist thinking. The project started with a conversation between the two artists and researchers, Julieta and Marina, who employed selected bags in the MAA collection as entry points for conversations around power dynamics, contemporary ways of interpreting museum collection objects, women’s role in societies, and deconstruction of ideas of colonialism through a feminist lens.
The conversation, which was recorded on video, took place a repurposed nuclear bunker, the Centre for Material Culture, in May this year. The project will continue to develop in the next academic year into an exhibition and a paper presentation. The selected carrier bags will be included in the video and can be accessed through the digital archive. Other carrier bags specimens can be seen at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Cambridge.
This project has been supported and facilitated by the Museum Collection Manager, Rachel Hand.
Centre for Material Culture: https://maa.cam.ac.uk/collections/centre-material-culture
Polish artist Artist Izabela Imiolczyk talks about the move to repurpose public spaces in Cambridge to enhance art experiences and showcase art as of key importance to selling early in a career.
