The comparativist

«Multiple conversations», Veronica Ryan's exhibition at Whitechapel Gallery, is a Haiku of which you only have one verse. But let's take a step back, because I'd like to talk about the relationship between the paratextual signs that surround an exhibit and the exhibit itself. The most obvious is the name of the exhibition itself — usually a big sign, repeated across all the materials. Next comes the literal wall of text near the entrance that tells you about the artist and the show; and, perhaps the king of the paratextual, the label next to each artwork that contains, at the very least, the name of the artist, the medium used, and the date it was created. It is my opinion that great art does not need labels. There's something interesting going on in «Las meninas» by Velázquez: that much is obvious. Approach the label, and you'll get a very interesting story of what exactly might have been going on. That's a great use of a label: something interesting be...