‘Crowded Museums’, performance by Raquel Friera

The presentation of the research Raquel Friera carried out through the Geysers programme was structured as a performance, fitting given the current debate on the functions of a museum. Research into the history of these functions took Raquel Friera to the mid-19th century Louvre in Paris and the National Gallery in London. And there she found paintings (like Salon Carré, Louvre en 1861 (1865) by Giuseppe Castiglione and The National Gallery when at Mr J. J. Angerstein’s House, Pall Mall (1824) by Frederick Mackenzie) showing museum halls full of people who aren’t just looking at the art on the walls, but having picnics, naps and gatherings. There were two key factors that allowed museums to be used in this way, as public space: admission was free of charge and the rooms had furnishings that could be moved around to suit visitors’ needs.

Raquel Friera’s performance, Crowded Museums (2023), recreates an interview committee members had with the Keeper of the National Gallery (1850), speaking about the tensions involved in the museum as public space (with groups bringing food and drinks, small children making a mess, inappropriate behaviour, etc.). The same report proposes a solution: imposing rules and charging admission.

So, Raquel Friera’s performance looks at a very hot topic: the functions of the museum, to recreate the historical path museums took from public space to a place of consumption.