During my first visit to the Museum Of Anthropology, I was able to observe various pieces of Indigenous art, the one that I found the most peculiar was: This Song is a Museum by Peter Morin (2011). This piece is situated in the “Multiversity Gallery”, hanging from the ceiling of the vitrine displaying the Tahltan people’s art, to which it belongs. This Song is a Museum is constituted of two octagonal and three round drums, and one drumstick. The mediums used to create the piece are very organic: the drumstick is made of rabbit and deer skin, and the drums are made of pine wood and elk skin. Both the drums and the drumstick have marks of black paint, which as Morin explains are a “visual record of the song”—that was performed on the drums with the drumstick dipped in black pain— in order to preserve the “voice that is connected to the objects” that constitute the piece. By choosing to use products from the mountains to create his piece, it could be argued that Morin attempts to convey a feeling of the Tahltan Tribe’s connection to their land and the living. A feeling which might otherwise be overviewed by the impression communicated by one of its neighbor objects: the Dagoji Dagger (a short knife made of iron metal), which was “strictly used for war” (MOA, 2002). Thus, the stark contrast between these two artworks creates a more balanced image of the Tahltan’s culture.
Furthermore, the curatorial staff’s decision of displaying the six different components of This Song is a Museum as an ensemble with equally visible elements, gives each constituent the same importance within the artwork. Moreover, the shape in which the piece is presented, resembles that of a modern drum set—seen from an overhead perspective. I think that the curatorial staff’s choice of generating this visual image, intends to create a contemporary relation between the Tahltan people’s culture and that of the Canadian settlers: music.
As a foreigner, the information provided in the curatorial documentation was crucial for my interpretation of This Song is a Museum, as it provided me with key details related to the crafting of the piece—the materials and the artist’s motives—and an overview of the Tahtlan people’s identity (which was unknown to me). As a whole, the surrounding objects and information provided by Morin and the museum staff, build up a contextual scenery in which This Song is a Museum can be appropriately interpreted and can accurately transmit the original message attached to it: music is part of Tahtlan people’s culture.
http://collection-online.moa.ubc.ca/search/item?keywords=dagoji&row=0&tab=more
http://collection-online.moa.ubc.ca/search/item?keywords=this+song+is+a+museum&row=20