From the Series Transcoding the Museum, Fragmented Objects, dimensions variable, exhibition view, clay and terracotta modules, Artist's studio, January 17th, 2025. Photo © Alian Rives' Studio
Hand-built clay and terracotta supports were modeled after the Lowe Museum's current supports for its artifacts, many of which are made from wood or cardboard. By using the same material—clay, and terracotta—as the objects these supports primarily hold, I created a series marked by imperfections and indexicality, mirroring the qualities of the artifacts themselves. This piece aims to shift the focus onto the museum’s support structures as the central element. A new piece emerged by omitting the artifacts, instead displaying small supports (small modules) atop real pedestals (major modules), creating a layered "pedestal within pedestal" effect. Ultimately, the pedestals and support elements, not the artifacts, represent what genuinely belongs to the museum as its core structure.