Draw Your Own Conclusion

For its second big open invitation exhibition, the Musée d'art et d'histoire de la Ville de Genève invited art historian Jean-Hubert Martin to cast a fresh eye on its collection. This eminent expert has taken on the role of curator with the ease afforded to him by his experience organizing ambitious exhibitions that have influenced the world of art for more than four decades.
Pas besoin d'un dessin reveals the richness of Geneva's heritage in some 550 objects and works of art in every genre. This book follows the logic of the exhibition, which is divided into some twenty sequences that draw from all the collection's artistic and historical fields. Each of these sequences is based on a suite of analogies and correspondences regarding content and form and create a narrative arc - from the cross to the globe; from the swindle to decapitation; from the breast to maternity, for example.
By abolishing hierarchies and awakening the gaze, Pas besoin d'un dessin extends an invitation to return to the primary relationship between the artwork and the viewer, one in which sensitivity plays an essential role. This exhibition grows out of an observation: the knowledge accumulated since the beginning of art history has slowly but surely caused the essence of art to disappear from view.
This catalogue includes an essay by Jean-Hubert Martin, who details his vision; a discussion between the curator and the director of the MAH, Marc-Olivier Wahler, on ways of approaching objects and designing an exhibition; and an essay by art critic and art history professor Maura Reilly, who deciphers the particular nature of Jean-Hubert Martin's trademark exhibitions. This essay section is followed by a booklet of images, combining photographs of the museum's galleries and selected works and objects.
Designed by the Zurich-based graphic design studio Hubertus design, Draw your own conclusion is the second in a series of books that accompany each of the MAH's "carte blanche" exhibitions.