21 Oct. - V & A

 Image: The Discovery of Achilles (detail) Jasper-ware plaque, J. Wedgwood & Sons, c. 1788

Light 'not-quite-rain' accompanied a stroll across Hyde Park to Exhibition Street + the V & A.

Lacking a true plan or collection knowledge, the 'top to bottom' schema seemed wise once more; speeding past the low-interest items, lingering on our favourites.

Visible storage is a valid strategy but the galleries - even when curated - persisted in a modus of saturation rather than restraint. An idle or undisciplined visitor could rapidly become overloaded with visual input.

And yet, glaring omissions still rankle ... An architecture gallery devoid of drawings and seemingly little content from the past five decades or more.

After many hours, still one hungers for a single room in which to sit + enjoy a solitary work of wonder, or a presentation that invites engagement + inquiry.

MONA this is not. It seems as yet a museum locked in its c.19th mindset.

Notes: In their defence, I do acknowledge that they are cash-strapped, but they would greatly benefit from exploring more contemporary modes of curatorial input plus quality spatial and experience design. None of the digital or virtual crap, just genuinely good conception, selection and presentation.