The Kaleidoscopic: Writing Histories Through the Collection

Works from across The Bass’s holdings are reimagined as shifting fragments of history in an exhibition that treats the collection as a living archive rather than a fixed narrative. Using the metaphor of a kaleidoscope, the presentation underscores how meaning changes depending on context, arrangement and perspective.

The Kaleidoscopic: Writing Histories Through the Collection at The Bass on Miami Beach brings together objects from different periods, cultures and contexts to explore how museums shape our understanding of the past, not only through what they preserve, but also through what they exclude and how works are displayed. The exhibition acknowledges that historical accounts are partial, overlapping and sometimes conflicting, and asks what it means to write histories today in light of this awareness.

By inviting multiple viewpoints, the exhibition encourages visitors to reconsider the role of a museum collection as an evolving, multivocal space. Each encounter offers new alignments and interpretations, opening up alternate ways of seeing and understanding how history is made visible. Organized by Claudia Mattos, Associate Director of New Media, the show underscores the museum’s role as an active participant in shaping cultural narratives.