Ariel Aurora

There are certain expectations when entering a gallery or museum. Being highly aware of your surroundings is one. Breaking art on display is terrifying to most. Common gallery and museum presentation practice minimizes this risk by providing well-lit rooms and spreads apart work so that viewers have room to bumble about without much worry of destruction.
Presentation is not inherent. It is decided. Presentation demands certain behaviors from the viewer. To manipulate presentation is to manipulate the viewer. There are varying schools of thought on the topic of how much work a viewer should do for art, both concerning the physical act of viewing as well as the unpacking of subject matter. One of the unfortunate side effects of placing works in well-lit areas with lots of room spread out for bumbling is the ease of accessibility. It is incredibly easy to stick your head into a room, glance around momentarily, decide you don’t like the work and continue on your way.
Curiosity, anticipation, fear, and awe have the potential to be powerful tools.