Mark Dion examines the ways that dominant ideologies and public institutions shape our understanding of history, knowledge, and the natural world. Appropriating archaeological and other scientific methods of collecting, ordering, and exhibiting objects, he creates works that question the distinctions between “objective” (“rational”) scientific methods and “subjective” (“irrational”) influences.

As part of the conceptual development of his project at the Oakland Museum of California, Dion used a FOR-SITE residency to familiarize himself with the natural and social history of California. The exhibition consisted of multiple site-specific installations in the museum’s art galleries. It amounted to an imaginative expedition through the museum’s collections, drawing on overlooked orphans, curiosities, and surprising treasures.