From 2019 to 2021, I collaborated as a research assistant with Professor Éric Langlois as part of the project Origin and Relevance of Becoming Object of Subject: Recreating the Museum, in Exhibitions. Led by principal investigator Mélanie Boucher, this study focused on the multiple ways in which individuals appropriate and personify themselves as works of art, both in museums and on the web.
Article’s thumbnail: Photo by Jay Soundo on Unsplash
Artistic Appropriation: Between Past and Present
Museums and contemporary artists have long explored the public’s fascination with the personification of canonical artworks. This practice, which consists of recreating from an existing artwork, finds an echo in artistic performances, museum reconstructions, and digital interactions that allow spectators to identify with images from the past.
This research project examined:
- The transformation of appropriation practices in the history of art.
- The impact of digital media on the relationship between the public and artworks.
- Artistic practices that question the relationship between the body, identity, and artworks in the museum context.
A Symposium to Deepen the Reflection
One of the major outcomes of this research was the symposium Devenir l’oeuvre: Practices of Objectification of the Body in Exhibitions and Museums (2021). This event highlighted the dynamics of reworking and doubling, as well as the questions raised by the desire to merge with art. How do today’s practices reinterpret those of the past? How does the past shape new forms of body and image representation?
Perspectives and Impact
This experience enriched my understanding of the links between performance, museology, and audience engagement. It also highlighted how art continues to evolve through interaction with its audience, who becomes an active participant in the artwork itself.