In his exhibition Mâcistan, Duane Linklater positions the institution as an intellectual entity, incorporating its structures, procedures and environments, as well as its physical location. A series of tall scaffolding structures form the basis of the exhibition. Rather than placing his pieces on the institution's walls, Linklater builds his own scaffolding for them. For his exhibition at the Wiener Secession, Linklater has created a site-specific modular structure based on the concept of the "cache". A cache is a collection or set of things. This concept speaks to the intertwined narratives that not only circulate objects, but also emotions, memories and ideas. It links personal collections, such as the memories and small objects we gather throughout our lives and display in our homes, with the larger museum complex and its colonial history.
These scaffolds are embedded with paintings, found objects, furniture and other materials that have gone through Linklater's collection and storage process, which is also a gesture of care. Family belongings and household items are placed high above the ground, out of reach, awaiting future use. Duane Linklater considers museum practices within the broader context of historical and contemporary Indigenous life. The artist analyses the rigid systems of knowledge, representation and value imposed by colonialism, while also referencing the storage practices he inherited from his ancestors.