The Exh Files: Part 16

Everything you have always wanted to know about how exhibitions get done, but you’ve never dared ask. The Exh Files bring you into the belly of the monster, not only to shed light on the curatorial process of Talk to Me, but also to cast the spotlight on the unsung heroes and heroines whose work is critical to the success of a show. For the duration of the exhibition, twice a week we will post three profiles of MoMA colleagues that were involved in the making of this show, and of many other MoMA exhibitions.

Erika Mosier

ERIKA MOSIER
Conservation

Title at MoMA: Conservator in Paper Conservation.
Been working at the museum for: Almost 20 years.
A brief bio: I am a mid-westerner who graduated from Queen’s University in Kingston,Ontario with a Master’s in Art Conservation.  After a Fellowship at the Smithsonian Institution in conservation research I accepted a Fellowship at MoMA and have been here ever since.
Passion outside of MoMA: Outside of MoMA I like to travel, look at architecture, collect stools, and hike.
What I did in Talk to Me: I monitored the light levels near the windows where a paper based object was hung to make sure the amount of light was appropriate. One of the objects in the show included a marker that needed to be rendered unable to mark for the safety of the object while still looking like a real marker tip.  It was a fun challenge to come up with the fake tip.
Curatorial team says: there were other last-minute scuff repairs and small retouches. You cannot imagine how obsessive about details all the people working on a show can be. Even the smallest dent or mark is reported and taken care of. Paper Conservation is a very important department in the museum because works on paper tend to be more delicate than oil or acrylic paintings, and need to be monitored constantly. Our who architectural drawings collection depends on experts like Erika.

Tunji Adeniji

TUNJI ADENIJI
Facilities and Safety
Title at MoMA: Director of Facilities and Safety.
Been working at the museum for: I have been at MoMA for 3 years and 6 months.
A brief bio: I was born in Lagos Nigeria and lived briefly in London. I joined MoMA in April 2008 and my journey through the years has been an exciting one. I feel at home at MoMA. I studied electrical engineering at both undergraduate and graduate levels. If anyone wants to advance in knowledge and education about art, there is no better place to be than MoMA.
Passion outside of MoMA: I love to play tennis, soccer, table tennis, basketball, travel, attend cultural events, and I enjoy cooking.
What I did in Talk to Me: I was involved in the planning of security camera installation, placement of metrocard vending machine placement and the housekeeping.
Curatorial team says: Tunji Adeniji, a.k.a. Grace Under Pressure. The discrete list of his interventions in Talk to Me does not convey the sense of groundedness and confidence that Tunji projects. Ever since he started at MoMA, moreover, his elegance and kindness have permeated the most pragmatic and urgent details of MoMA’s inner workings.

Ramona Bronkar Bannayan

RAMONA BRONKAR BANNAYAN
Exhibitions and Collections

Title at MoMA: Senior Deputy Director, Exhibitions and Collections.
Been working at the museum: since 1990.
A brief bio: I have been with the Museum since 1990 and was named Deputy Director in 2010.  Previously, I was the Director of Collection Management and Exhibition Registration here at MoMA.  I oversee the Departments of Exhibitions Administration, Exhibition Design & Production, Registrar, Art Handling and Preparation, Imaging Services and Collection and Exhibition Technologies.  I have an M.F.A. from Columbia University where I graduated with honors.
Passion outside of MoMA: painting in my studio and gardening.
What I did in Talk to Me: this is already a comment from the Curatorial Team: she ran the show.
Curatorial teams says: Ramona runs the collection and the exhibition program. That is no small feat in a museum with dozens of curators and a myriad programs happening at the same time. Ramona’s exhibition schedules are legendary for complexity and agility, ruled by her own instinctive algorithms that make sure that the staff and crews are distributed and allotted properly. Ramona works with the Director, the Deputies, the Chief Curators, and all us little people while trying to balance everybody’s interests and egos. She writes beautiful emails.