presentation
A performance presentation - I took on the role of an insurance sales person from the 'no win-no fee' claim adverts
Insurance script ~ entanglement, interruptions and collisions:
Do you like to go to exhibitions and interact with the artwork? Are you concerned about your safety in public exhibitions? Have you tripped, fallen or suffered trauma as a result of an artwork? If so, you can sue the artist, gallery or installer and close the exhibition down to keep others safe.
If you've suffered a personal injury or been made ill while experiencing an artwork, you may be entitled to compensation. It doesn't matter whether you were at fault, generally not exercising common sense or following the rules of engagement, we're here to help sue the artist on your behalf, disregard the artist’s intentions and ruin the experience of the work for future audiences. Talk to us about the possibility of making a personal injury claim under a No Win No Fee agreement.
We began our practice of closing down exhibitions to protect the audience in 1971 with Richard Morris’s Bodyspacemotionthings, an interactive display of rope swings, logs, seesaws and concrete tubes; it was closed after 4 days due to visitors experiencing rope burns, splinters and bruises. Tate resurrected the exhibition in 2009, this time 23 people were injured but Tate’s medical team were on hand. http://mentalfloss.com/article/27440/9-really-dangerous-pieces-art
Personal injuries can happen in many different unexpected ways. Most of the time in public exhibitions it will be due to misuse of an object, or lack of personal awareness, such as Doris Salcedo’s Shibboleth (2007), a large tear was gouged out of the gallery floor, 15 audiences members tripped or fell in to the large void, 4 were severe enough to claim for compensation. Regardless of the fact it was their own negligence to blame they still made a claim towards the gallery and the artist.
A personal injury isn't always visible like a bruise or a broken bone; the words 'personal injury' describe many different types of harm that can befall you in your daily life. That's why our personal injury solicitors are experienced in dealing with everything from slips and trips to issues of migraine and headache. Recently audience members have been complaining about artworks making use of florescent and strobe lighting. Although the gallery has placed a disclaimer on the wall and addressed the issue, they still believe that these art works should be more well guarded or not shown at all. https://hyperallergic.com/484150/art-spaces-should-be-more-mindful-about-their-use-of-strobe-lights/
Everyone is entitled to go about their everyday life in safety. Unfortunately, the fact is that every year a couple of people are injured or made ill by their own carelessness or negligence when participating in a public artwork. When an incident occurs which causes them to be injured or become ill, they may be able to claim the art work is at fault and raise a press storm to push for compensation.
In short, if you've sustained a personal injury that was your fault - even if you were partly at fault – you can probably cause a gallery to stop others from further enjoying that art work in the manner intended. Talk to the gallery today about making art a non-experiential medium, view it from the safety of your barriered off distance, cloud the intentions of the artist with claims of safety and public risk. This is the circumstances behind Ai Wei Wei’s sunflower seeds, a work that was intended for emersion, for walking. Fear was raised regarding dust particles and the exhibit became ‘view only’. https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/news/dust-up-at-tate-modern-as-curse-of-turbine-hall-strikes-again-2108191.html
Every personal injury claim is different, as is the level of education and common sense present within the art world audience so the final figure of compensation you might receive and whether the artwork remains on display depends on a number of factors such as the severity of your injuries, how famous the artist is, and how much press the controversy will bring about.
If you want to ruin the experience of public installation art for future audiences, continue to behave in an erratic manner, hold complete disregard for the artist’s intentions and ignore all health and safety advice given by the gallery. To make your claim call: 800 KeepArtBoring.
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/visitor-injured-on-first-day-of-tate-black-hole-exhibit-6783094.html
https://www.slatergordon.co.uk/personal-injury-claim/
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=accident+claim+advert
http://mentalfloss.com/article/27440/9-really-dangerous-pieces-art
Article on Hyperallergic - Art Spaces Should be More Mindful About Their Use of Strobe Lights
I dressed for the event but the internet connection was weak and I had to perform it as an audio piece only.
we have been discussing via Whatsapp, a not-so-smooth start as we could not agree on a consistent route. Three is a tough number to debate in, but we managed.
Discussion topics:
Entanglement, interference and collision.
MC and I had similar starting points: interference and entanglement. I’m currently projecting to work with lighting, possibly strobe. Reading about light artworks there have been issues with members of the public suffering from migraines and even seizures. So my thoughts are, arts interfering with the public, do artists have a right to show work irrelevant of its accessibility to all. Should the artist be allowed to ‘interfere’ with the public in a physical sense?
To disorientate, discombobulated, in the physical sense or to argue that artists shouldn’t interfere and we have no place to.
My thoughts were that we need to find our anger
I’m feeling that we need to find our ‘anger’ regarding what provokes us in our art-making. Where does the passion lie, how does that relate to entanglement, interference and collision?
For me, I am passionate about how the audience experiences art, I feel that art can move people when they become a part of it, immersion or activity.
I get ‘angry’ when an artist doesn’t consider the audience or says that it doesn’t matter. I appreciate that art has different meanings for many, by my passion is in the movement and emotion in the audience. I want to provoke something in them, even if it’s discomfort or anxiety. This does apply to 2D work as well as sculpture and performance, I feel that you can be moved or made uncomfortable by an object.
Art and Audience - Emma Wilcox - TEDxNJIT - art experiences are no longer viewed as an exchange between equals - it loses its magic -
MC was happy to counter that argument and say that artists need to be careful and have no right to challenge people, provoke them etc. That artists can overstep the line, to distinguish the lines between ok conduct as an artist and not ok conduct as an artist and make some distinction to say that some artists have crossed the line and that is not ok of them. People are accountable and just saying it is art is not an excuse
RF looked at these main points: -artists have to interfere with the audience perception so that there can be an engagement with the work. - that it has to be the role of the artist to ’overstep’ because of the need to inform the audience.
Testing your Boundaries, group 2 - LB
Testing Boundaries
Group Critique
Work so far...
To test the boundaries they need to first be defined:
What are my boundaries:
This project, the physicality of contacting people - phone conversations make me feel sick, I get nervous at public speaking and I am not confident in my work, I sometimes feel like being an artist is a copout and I don't fully believe in myself or my work. I undervalue myself and am not very good at ‘putting myself out there’. (Eek!) Easily intimidated and compare myself to others to my own discouragement. I commonly think that if someone is doing something similar I should probably give up as its already been covered
So the limits of my work at the beginning of the project:
How to test the boundaries:
So what did I do?
It doesn’t feel like much (which makes me question my expectations of myself):
My drawing performance for the students. I utilized the visualizer on my desk and the projector. (disclaimer: this is not the original piece, I forgot to take a photo of it in the set up so I printed a photo of it so I could do this! haha! )
T
The feedback
Drawing as performance:
When performing the act of drawing in front of students it was mainly awe which is flattering.
It was a useful device to open dialogue about artist expectations, talent vs hard work, process vs product.
They were keen to see the progress, coming in to check each lesson.
Some emulated in their own work, some did not engage with it at all but at that level art is not optional.
A few students used me as an example of why they won’t take art as they were intimidated and felt that they could not keep up with the expectations.
Video work in the gallery:
Those that commented gave congratulations, which is expected at an opening, although felt a little forced. There was not much dialogue. Some were surprised I had submitted a video piece.
In critique with my artist group they only remarked on my hair tie around the wrist and asked I re-shoot without it. The gallery did not require this.
Work in the House of Failure exhibition:
Non-art audience, mainly families and tourists with a keen interest or stumbling upon it. It was part of the SIKKA art fair which is set in the historical district and runs parallel with the Art Dubai fair (commercial).
Hard to understand why it was a failure.
Workshops: most left happy, having created a mass of work that they had fun creating. Many did not take the work.
Video work in a displaced context:
The students: art classes noticed it, it took them time as they were in activities. Most thought it was ‘a ghost’, a couple actually jumped, then they would take a moment and realise it was my hand. They were more confused about where it was coming from. Maths students made no comment and as far as I’m aware only one actually saw it.
The the big projector they noticed it quicker and made connections to my work. They thought it was ‘creepy’ or that I was tracing an existing work. Once I explained they looked a little perplexed but would open a discussion about the concept.
In public, some cars slowed down, many passed without notice. A man in a car watched me set up and watched the video while he waited for his wife. As they drove away they paused in the car in front of it.
One man stood outside of his car, smoking and watched. I took a creepy selfie to capture him! Ha!
What can I take from this?
Video work feels like it's hard done by. I’m guilty of it myself, I will pass by in a gallery due to time constraints or lack of focus. The showing of the video work left me a little empty and also a little embarrassed, like I could have tried harder.
Projecting outside made my work feel insignificant, which actually makes me want to make more work as it really doesn’t matter! People passed by but were not interested. Some noticed and paused. A couple of guys hung around by a car and watched. It wasn’t important though and I questioned what I was expecting. Did I think that the road would come to a standstill and I would be heralded a genius? Of course not. Did I think some might stop and question? Maybe, but did I need that? I was self-conscious, I felt guilty taking over a wall that wasn’t mine, I felt self aware, like I was flashing too much skin on the side of the road.
Performance felt similar but as I was fully present it offered more dialogue, more interaction. I was intrigued by the assumed unattainability of the outcome and how many perceived it as ‘talent’ rather than learned skill.
The display of ‘failure’ produced some dialogue, this was mainly from non-artist audience claiming that even the failures were better than their skill base. They felt like the failure was token, or that it should not be discussed adn we should be more positive. This left me feeling frustrated.
The development of concept/context:
Feels less strained. It is flowing a little easier. I’m reinvigorated and keen to work, frustrated by time management and non-masters commitments. I am concerned about it form of the drawings and whether the abstract lines/shape/forms need to be justified or whether I can continue with them. The constraint of the linear forms feels necessary for the exploration of collision between process and product. I feel that organic forms distract the focus from the materiality of drawing and drawn, that the abstract is needed to allow the collision to take place.
The boundary of making and made is now being tested. How is it viewed and perceived by an audience, how much does education play a part in the perception of process and product? Can process and product exist at the same time? Although process will always be in reflection of the product as the work is deemed unfinished if it is still being worked on so it there for ‘in progress’.
Making day: group 1 - KF
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Feedback:
what would happen if I added a million layers?!
Collagraph - print
buildings and constructions
maps - constructing up and laying over
building a new utpia
getting to know the 'flatness' - having a conversation with the work - asking it what flatness means, what building up/construction is?
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In a group with Mozhdeh - Display - What is Display. My take can be seen in the slideshow above.
Mozhdeh made a comment that I always answer a question with a question and this 'makes her laugh' as I avoid answering the initial questions. I was a little offended by this accusation as my intention is not to avoid, it is simply that the question that was asked provoked a process of enquiry in my own mind and I am sharing that. I looked it up as I was sure there was a term for it. There is: Maieutic - Socratic method of cooperative argument, answering questions with a question with a view to eliciting new ideas from another idea.
Comments from others and thoughts about the other presentations.:
Site, as abstract, site as body, markers - territory - claiming as own, inaccessible makes it desirable, politics of a site
the aggressive element of display - documentation - Tino Sehgal -doesn't document - present is authentic to you. - install our work rather than display so it's about the experience, it must own and belong in the space.
Where does the work live? - Where does the work take place?
T- is the gallery a site where the audience goes to display itself?
How do we stop an audience and still have a debate? - use what is appropriate but you need to understand it. Would the presentations work if we changed the titles?
without audience participation - the work is dead.
internet penetrations - the presentations say so much about who we are.
do we all need a wiki page? - critical dialogues - wiki page?
notes and observations from presentations and discussion
Thoughts sparked by other peoples presentations:
RT - accordion book - cutting pages - context of local artists - those she is interacting with - wish I had thought of that, but also know that I didn't because it's not how I work.
TB - maps - volume - height - mountains - this course feels like climbing a mountain - The wanderer Society by Keri Smith <3 - boundaries of scientific and human knowledge - walking, is that the work? or its relationship to the work? process as work itself EC - clothing - the space your in - walking in space
My presentation:
Les Bicknell notes and progress
Mapping my everyday path - the urge to Frottage! A compulsion - to violate the paper before I write.
The only space big enough to work horizontally
Whole body movement - mind-mapping is a physical process for me, music and movement are needed to create rhythm to facilitate order - I discovered this on foundation when we had to play ‘musical painting’ and dance around paper strapped to the floor - it is a practice I don’t use often due to space restrictions but it feels magical!
Notes and layout notes to be processed - bare feet on the floor and tea are necessary!
The path dissected and reordered again - transplanted to studio to be worked on
Messy and uncomfortable - disjointed
The reason I don’t like mind-maps
Transplanted into a digital programme MindX - can save as pdf
White text on black background makes it simpler and clean/organised layout creates harmony
I feel more fulfilled by renegotiating the information in to this context - all processes are needed at this point
Section of map - four key interests of practice - discovered through this process and the continual re-working
Interlinking is happening
Artists and art history ‘timeline’ - my timeline not an actual one, how they relate in my thinking as per Elkin -
My personality requires permission to veer from rules and what I deem as expectations so these texts and activities are invaluable to me
Theoretical and critical - starting to bring in research and reading - possible avenues to explore and also reading list - need to add the interlinks
More on the headings under Critical and theoretical
Additional branch - materiality - interesting as I am encountering a standstill in practice - almost a ‘to do’ list for stuck moments
The comparison of a white background and black - I will be getting a version printed to pin to my studio wall and develop by hand further - a continuously growing and developing document.
Comments:
R: with actual territory - part of the place & movement
Learning a lot about the way you approach the task - travelling through the mindmap is like travelling through the work - a sense of where your ideas come from & what influences you alongside how it influences you and your interpretations of it.
From Chatbox:
E: a real sense of trying to get order to your thoughts in your task
K: I love the tiles, that looked beautiful.
E: you would also love the'cartographies of time - a history of the timeline' by rosenberg and grafton
K: My pleasure, it definitely shows how how your mind operates.
P: Your final slides made me think of electrical circuits.
R: I was hoping that I could see your mind map on the frottage...but maybe it will be too
confusing.
EC: it seemed you started out and moved in and then in your chart you moved from in to out
K: It is interesting that you and Jessie used your own territory in some way.
J: walking seems to be a theme today!
R: I'm going to add it to my map!
T: The process as ordeal is understandable. Well done for fitting so much in! I know I'll keep adding bits to my map as I figure more out.
Small group meetings throughout task.
undirected, vague, can be unnerving
mirror - what reflects back on yourself - Hassan Sharif notes - I made this comment
Keep it alive - not resolved work - quality of engagement. quality of exploration
personal risks - suspension of usual judgement - choose something that will challenge.
making work - carrying on your practice
Whats the question? whats the risk? whats the challenge?
If your struggle is to make something that may be the greatest risk
go back to mapping & feedback & comments - what keeps coming up? what are you 'itching' to do?
words - thoughts - research - digesting research - eating it up? - consuming - time, knowledge, etc.
PROCESS
what can I find? What can I explore?
foam - embroidery around, stitching to fabric - glass tubes embroidered - fragility & transparency - fine fractures - life, time, consumptions - rice - candy - food stuffs that are glass like and delicate.
'research proposal' - outline - see questions - personal responses.
list of activities on brief sheet
GCC group for discussions
David Kefford for tutorial.
notes and observations from presentations and discussion
Thoughts sparked by other peoples presentations:
- a 'thought dump' - More questions than answers - 'Post Photography' after the photo, what you do with them - immigrant - emigrate - migrant - the right of voice - it is relevant but can you comment?
- Physicality - notes from presentation to feed in to context map - frustration due to lack of challenging critique - lovely that its supportive commentary, just backing up ideas - no challenge, no push back - how to move forward with a pat on the back?!
- Questions - De Certeau
foundation for the contextual study -
Purpose - VALIDATION - proving our work is relevant by providing context - context - companions - new perspective - context - your work in context - research & development, critical analysis - what are other people doing in the similar field (concept/material etc), why do you stand out and also fit in?
RT - an artist statement plus validation
KO - the way we work our mindmaps is similar to the way we work our practice - So valid - how I work- created the responses to questions - broke it up - reconfigured it - broke that up - reconfigured - then translated in to digital output
Workshop - bring ideas - get on with it
active bibliography - exhibition catalogues, journals, bookmarks
12 march - tutorials - draft title - enquiry, key points, quotes, images - 2 A4 side of 'research' or starting material