Marcel Duchamp's Boîte-en-valise: The Museum of Metamorphosis

Boxed in

Pictured with its central panel still nestled in the lid of its suitcase container, its pull-outs tucked in so that one can see the reproductions of the right pull-out through the celluloid Large Glass, the Boîte-en-valise most closely resembles the boxes of household items, art supplies, and toys displayed in the windows of Parisian department stores and advertised in their catalogues that Ronny van de Velde has proposed as a reference point for Duchamp's design. This view emphasizes the portability of the miniature display, sheltered within its suitcase, at the expense of highlighting the detail of the reproductions contained within it.

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