“Light Into Density” features 15 abstract paintings from the Manetti Shrem private collection
By VINCE BASADA — campus@theaggie.org
The Manetti Shrem Museum opened the 2024 Fall Season with their first ever student-curated and student-designed exhibit “Light Into Density: Abstract Encounters 1920s–1960s | From the Collection of Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem.”
It includes 15 pieces from the museum’s namesakes with works by Francis Bacon, Salvador Dalí, Vassily Kandinsky and Joan Miró, among others. Many of the pieces have not been publicly displayed in decades.
Maria Manetti Shrem said she was excited to finally unveil the artists’ works.
“I am so delighted this exhibition is happening after 30 years,” Shrem said in a recent press release. “It’s the first time these unparalleled works of 20th century art will be shown together.”
The exhibition was curated by students in the Fall 2023 Exhibition Practicum course led by Assistant Professor Alexandra Sofroniew. Additionally, it was designed by students in the Winter 2024 Exhibition Design course led by Professor Timothy McNeil and Associate Professor Brett Snyder.
“There’s curatorial work, organizing the objects and creating a story and narrative for the exhibition, then the design part is to visualize and bring to life that narrative for the visitor,” Sofroniew told The Aggie.
Students from Sofroniew’s class visited the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art to see the works in person before they were brought to Davis. The pieces are shared between the Manetti Shrem Museum and SFMOMA, both of which have been recipients of the Shrems’ philanthropy.
“They’re unbelievable paintings,” Sofroniew said. “Most curators in their careers at museums would not work with paintings of this caliber or value.”
Pieces on display include Salvador Dalí’s “Les désirs inassouvis” (Unsatisfied Desires), “Skull of a Gorilla” by Francis Bacon and “Femme et oiseau” (Woman and Bird) by Joan Miró.
Sofroniew says that her class made an effort to make the exhibition accessible to museumgoers of all experience levels, especially for their fellow students. Instead of standard object labels with the history of a piece, each painting is accompanied by a quote from students and others who worked on the project about what they see and feel in each work. They hope that it will be a starting point for observers unfamiliar with abstract works to discuss the art amongst themselves.
“We [had] to make a narrative that will speak to students at UC Davis today to get them interested in these paintings and want to come to see them,” Sofroniew said. “There’s no right or wrong way to look at art or to respond to abstract art. Just say what you think about it.”
Other unique details include a conversation table for guests to talk about the art within the exhibit space which are areas that are usually placed outside to keep the viewing space quiet. Additionally a ‘Student Voices’ wall is featured with photos of all the students who contributed to the exhibit, and a title wall for the exhibition by design student Emma O’Connor, lit with LEDs and inspired by Lucio Fontana’s “Concetto Spaziale (Gold) (Spatial Concept),” one of the works on display.
Sofroniew noted that while many of the pieces were created in times of turmoil and war, the curation team wanted to focus on positive aspects and interpretations of the pieces.
“One direction could have been [to create] a quite heavy exhibition, but times are heavy now too and the world is in turmoil,” Sofroniew said. “So the students were looking for the hope in the painting and light in the darkness.”
While the exhibition has been open since Sept. 19, a public opening ceremony will take place on Sept. 29 from 12-2 p.m. with student guest curators and designers who will discuss their project. Light refreshments and live music from a UC Davis student jazz quartet will be included.
The ceremony is part of a larger fall Season Celebration hosted by the museum on that day which will run from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Both the event and the exhibition are free for all to attend.
“Light Into Density” is on view from now until May 5, 2025. More information on the exhibit and the museum can be found at manettishrem.org.
Written by: Vince Basada — campus@theaggie.org
