Mixed, matched - it's the MTG's artworks allsorts

Laura Vodanovich,

The exhibition, Out of the Box, which opened last night, started with a fairly simple premise: fill the gallery with artworks, displaying the strength and breadth of the collection.

A similar exhibition, Open Home, in 2008 was very popular with visitors and we're hoping this updated take on the idea will resonate equally well with our community.

There are differences between the two exhibitions, as Open Home focused on displaying as many already framed works as possible, ordered by the year they were acquired. Out of the Box has a more deliberate selection of key works, some of which required matting and framing, and includes some sculptures.

It was certainly a challenge to make the selection, ensuring significant artists are included while keeping paintings to a manageable scale, so no one work dominates.

This allows visitors, our trust board and staff to see the range and quality within the collection. With our fine art holdings currently stored in crates, it's hard to get to know the works intimately and therefore know with confidence what strengths we have, what our collection lacks, and what stories we can tell. Both the trust and staff need to have a deep understanding of our collection in order to make informed decisions about future acquisitions. As the trust holds this collection on behalf of the people of Hawke's Bay we need to ensure we're holding works that are important, add value or tell key stories for our community.

It's not often that works are displayed en masse - from floor to ceiling - and this gives a unique way of viewing art. For those of you who may have seen Sir John Soane's museum in London, where the walls are crammed with artworks, this is a similar experience, with one very key difference.

While the Soane museum works are all contemporaries from a particular period, in our display works are deliberately hung out of chronological context. Historic paintings hang next to contemporary works, as well as portraits next to landscapes and paintings next to prints.

There's a deliberate focus on mixing works to provide a contrast of periods, styles, subjects and media.

This juxtaposition of disparate pieces sitting cheek by jowl gives the opportunity to view works afresh and challenges the viewer to consider them in new ways. I've no doubt that I'll see more in individual works each time I go through this gallery and will develop some new favourites.

There were certainly some challenges in this exhibition, with works turning up with frames too damaged for display (these will go on our list for conservation treatment), works where measurements hadn't included the frame (requiring a complete rethink of the hanging layout and sometimes multiple rehanging of paintings), and so on. Overall, it took three of our team five full days to hang this exhibition - and this is only about 10 per cent of the fine art collection. It really has been a labour of love, but one we think is well worth the effort.

If the reaction at last night's opening is anything to go by, I'm sure the community will love experiencing this exhibition and seeing their collection on display as much as I have.

■Curator Jessica Mio floor talk on our new exhibition Out of the Box, today, Dec 3, 11am. Free with museum entry

■Sue Nicholson, Tuesday, Dec 8, Century Theatre from 7pm. Tickets available from Ticketek

■Rob Waddell - Business Breakfast Series, Friday, Dec 9, Century Theatre 7am. Tickets $20 via Napier City Council until Tuesday, Dec 6.

■Laura Vodanovich is the director of the Museum Theatre Gallery (MTG) Hawke's Bay.