Stars and other astrological occurrences present themselves to the earthly observer as known and permanent constellations, yet they both physically and symbolically undergo constant change. Outer space recently became the projection surface for SpaceX’s record-breaking IPO, for instance. In the recent rehanging of the Van Abbemuseum’s collection, outer space serves as more than a metaphor for thinking about permanence and order. Conceptualized collaboratively with four external interlocutors, “Collection as Cosmos” arranges its artworks relationally rather than following the temporal linearity of the canon and sets them against the backdrop of an ornamental exhibition design by Matilde Cassani Studio. In a selective walk-through, Xenia Benivolski maps how the exhibition presents a curatorial perspective that emphasizes the storytelling effects and life cycles of artworks over the finitude of their possession and preservation.
