M – like most museums – had a permanent display exhibiting the masterpieces of its collection with works of art neatly arranged by period or style. A few years ago, the museum decided to move away from such classical presentation and bring together different pieces from different periods of the collection to make new, more thematic displays.
Currently on show until the end of April, “Take your Time” is the latest version of such new presentations inviting visitors to spend more time looking at art (an average of 28.63 seconds per work recorded at the museum). It also raises questions about the role of time in art.
Time is an essential element of every artwork. Some works tell a story. Others refer to the passing of time. How do artists represent time? Can the whole story be seen in different scenes or one fleeting moment? How does a snapshot suggest time’s development? And what do the works say about how the artists themselves perceive time?
