ambitious presentation

The black walls in the booth of the London dealer Archeus/Post-Modern distinguish it from its neighbors, as does its ambitious presentation of kinetic, light and Op Art sculptures from the 20th century.

The Smithsonian team had imagined the ambitious presentation two years ago, first through Carrano’s hand gestures, then in pencil on sheets of paper, then on computer screens, then in a miniature 3-D model.

Zuluaga’s ambitious presentation obscures a darker reality about Colombia’s principal port city: The ships and stilts out the window hover over a watery graveyard, a dumping ground for those who have fallen prey to ongoing violence.

“We’re going to make a leap from being a great presenter of special exhibitions to also being a great presenter of our own collection,” he said, noting, for starters, a more ambitious presentation of photography.

But museum officials are promising a more ambitious presentation next summer, when the Argentine artist Tomas Saraceno will create a roof installation.