Fourfolded objects, or toward a philosophy of object-oriented curation

Abstract

This paper attempts to contextualize a philosophy of curation that is object-oriented or toward a “return to the object.” In the museum, three interrelated philosophical problems pervade curation practices that prevent access to the object as it is. Here, the subject-object relations or idealism-realism issues are reconsidered as a specific niche of the philosophy of curation. To address these issues, this paper claims that Jean-Paul Martinon and Graham Harman's philosophical return to the Heideggerian fourfold (das Geviert) can introduce creative pathways for the curated object that is riddled with excess and tensions. Later, with some caveats, the paper addresses the issues and suggests a possible avenue for further research.