In most exhibitions, especially in mainstream museums, the curator is an elusive and scholarly figure, applying his or her knowledge and ever refined tastes to meticulously craft a show that will engage and enlighten. #SocialMedium does things a bit differently.
For this hyper-contemporary exhibition, the Frye Art Museum in Seattle invited an unusual guest curator to organize the show -- the entire internet. Over a two week period in August, the Frye shared 232 of their collection's paintings on various social media sites including Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram. Internet enthusiasts from around the globe transformed into "citizen curators" simply by "liking" an image.
While most museums exhibit contemporary content via traditional means of curation, #SocialMedium turns the equation on its head, organizing classic 19th and 20th century paintings according to the preferences of the global internet user.
In total, 17,601 votes were cast by 4,468 citizen curators around the globe -- from Bangladesh to Canada to Indonesia to Romania. Every painting received at least one vote.
"I think that one of the key aspects of this is that the project is truly global," Jo-Anne Birnie Danzker, director of the Frye Art Museum, explained to The Huffington Post Arts. "We have very different perspectives on view than we would have had available to us if, for example, I had curated the show. Instead we have the knowledge and perspectives of over 4,000 people from very diverse backgrounds."
Ludwig Dill. Birkenwald (The Birch Grove), ca. 1900. Oil on canvas. 28 1/2 x 36 1/8 in. Frye Art Museum, Charles and Emma Frye Collection, 1952.037.
The spirit of global connection and communication leads back to the Frye's original mission. "We have a collection that [dates back to] 1893 up until the 1930s. It was put together by a Seattle couple, Charles and Emma Frye. It's a global collection. They were both traveling to Europe and across the states acquiring the work. That spirit of reaching out to afar is something that I also really like about #SocialMedium. It opens up a lot of perspectives that we'd not have access to."
The most popular work was Julius Scheuerer's 1907 piece "The Peacock," which went "viral" on Tumblr with 3,525 Likes. The second most voted artwork, with 210 votes, was Franz von Stuck's "Die Sünde," which Danzker identified as the most important work in the Frye's collection.
Julius Scheuerer. Peacock, 1907. Oil on canvas. 36 1/2 x 24 1/2 in. Frye Art Museum, Charles and Emma Frye Collection, 1952.148
"Some of the commentary around the show ends up being a question of whether or not, in doing this show, I had abandoned my curatorial responsibility and the necessity for formal, careful, scholarly, excellent work. But what was interesting is that the consensus, even though we had all levels of participation from 500 cities... in the end our single most important painting came in second to 'The Peacock.' It's what I refer to as the wisdom of the internet. The question of excellence as addressed by the general public; it's interesting to see how tight the consensus is."
"It's sort of a questioning of your own authority," added Jeffrey Hirsch, Director of Communications at the museum. "How works of art should be perceived... We're always looking for ways to deepen the engagements of our visitors and reach beyond our existing audience. This was a tremendous means of amplifying our message."
Franz von Stuck. Die Sünde (Sin), ca. 1908. Syntonos [tempera] on canvas. 34 7/8 x 21 5/8 in. Frye Art
Museum, Charles and Emma Frye Collection, 1952.169.
Another interesting aspect of the crowd-sourcing experiment is its relation to the city of Seattle, where the Frye is based. "Seattle is a high-tech center as well as a world headquarters for companies like Microsoft and Starbucks," said Danzker. "It's been fascinating moving from Europe to Seattle, to be one of the people in the city that are experimented on by these international companies by working with the public. With Starbucks, it's the individualization of what we drink. The context in which we're working here is extremely interesting, in relation to the role of a citizen curator."
#SocialMedium is not only a beautifully condensed cross section of the world's taste in art, but also a compelling portrait of our present day modes of connection and communication. "What's interesting to me is it also paints a picture of the internet," Danzker said. "It's a demonstration of how visual information and preferences can go viral. To me it's still something of a mystery. That we were able to reach out to that many people over a single image. It was a concrete demonstration of the very different world in which we live and the potential we have to communicate with one another."
The exhibition runs until January 4, 2015 at Frye Art Museum in Seattle. Enjoy a glimpse of the images below.
Gabriel von Max. Botaniker (The Botanists), after 1900. Oil on canvas. 25 x 31 3/4 in. Frye Art Museum, Charles and Emma Frye Collection, 1952.117. Photo: Eduardo Calderón
Max Liebermann. Courtyard, 1882. Oil on panel. 10 5/16 x 14 1/4 in. Frye Art Museum, Charles and Emma Frye Collection, 1952.106.
William-Adolphe Bouguereau. Gardeuse de moutons (The Shepherdess), 1881. Oil on canvas. 46 x 28 1/2 in. Frye Art Museum, Charles and Emma Frye Collection, 1952.012. Photo: Spike Mafford
Alexander Max Koester. Moulting Ducks, ca. 1900. Oil on canvas. 28 3/8 x 51 3/8 in. Frye Art Museum, Charles and Emma Frye Collection, 1952.087.
Franz Xaver Winterhalter. Susanna and the Elders, 1866. Oil on canvas. 64 5/8 x 46 5/8 in. Frye Art Museum, Charles and Emma Frye Collection, 1952.199. Photo: Spike Mafford
Gabriel von Max. The Christian Martyr, 1867. Oil on paper affixed to canvas. 48 x 36 3/4 in. Frye Art Museum, Charles and Emma Frye Collection, 1952.116. Photo: Spike Mafford
Hermann Corrodi. Venice, ca. 1900. Oil on canvas. 49 1/4 x 91 1/4 in. Frye Art Museum, Charles and Emma Frye Collection, 1952.025. Photo: Spike Mafford
Mihály de Munkácsy. The Condemned, 1869–1872. Oil on panel. 31 x 39 1/2 in. Frye Art Museum, Charles and Emma Frye Collection, 1952.125. Photo: Spike Mafford
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.