Case Study No.

2: The Inventory Project

The display cases at the very center of The Magnes building are designed to unleash the curatorial mind by presenting diverse collection items, a variety of display modes, and a wide range of perspectives. This is the ideal platform for the Case Study exhibition series, conceived as a scholars playground. Each year, UC Berkeley faculty, graduate students and visiting scholars will collaborate with the curators of The Magnes in creating collection-based exhibitions based on emerging research. It is our privilege to inaugurate the series with an exhibition created in collaboration with Jeffrey Shandler, Professor of Jewish Studies at Rutgers, a leading figure in the study of modern Jewish culture. The Inventory Project draws on his current research on the role of inventory as a practice of modern Jewish life and offers an unconventional look at The Magnes Collections multi-dimensional archive, library, and museum holdings. Francesco Spagnolo, Curator