I meet Clément Beraud in Helsinki Art Museum (HAM) where he works as exhibition technician. He talks us through the installation of selected works from Helsinki Biennial, explains the practical considerations and tells about what can go wrong in the long, delicate process of transport and re-assembly. We get an insight into the greater ecology of a large gallery and all the people involved in the production of an exhibition, and how all the different roles approach common objectives with different agendas and priorities. We talk about the absurdity of a regular object becoming a sacred artefact when put on display, and how new value and rules are applied to it in an instant when it enters the gallery space. Clément explains about the practical aspects of his job, working as a technician in many different museums and galleries around Helsinki, and how potential safety hazards and safety practices are handled. We also discuss issues of the financial structures of the art world, and some of the challenges leading to artists making careers of their side-gigs such as technician positions.
There was some electrical interference making noise on the recording, which I have cleaned and removed as much as I could without making our voices too strange. It is not constant throughout the episode! When we walk & talk through the exhibition the soundscape is fine and you can hear the sound of the artworks.
Technicians' group exhibition in Gallery Pallas
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