Artists at the Institute – Gala Porras-Kim

In this presentation, Gala Porras-Kim discusses recent work that considers how objects in collections are shaped by multiple actors, some of them non-consenting collaborators: the artists who create them, the collectors who establish their contexts, and the curators, conservators, and registrars who classify, preserve, and present them. The works examine how historical objects are transformed by the classificatory systems applied to them, tracing shifting taxonomies that position them as historical, institutional, natural, or otherwise. These categories not only shape how objects are understood but also determine which relationships, histories, and contexts come to define them. By tracing where different systems of knowledge intersect, overlap, and contradict one another, Porras-Kim’s work considers the multiplicity of stakeholders involved in defining cultural heritage and asks what new perspectives might emerge when the structures used to organize and interpret it are called into question.