Showing posts with label relational aesthetics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label relational aesthetics. Show all posts
8.1.09
Nicolas Bourriaud's 'Altermodern' Manifesto
The 2009 Tate Triennial promises to be one of the most significant moments in the recent history of art.
24.12.08
SF MOMA: The Art of Participation
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
8 November, 2008 - 8 February, 2009
8 November, 2008 - 8 February, 2009
It seems the art world has finally seen its first museum scale exhibition devoted entirely to relational art. A marginalized discourse no more?
Exhibition description:
"Looking back nearly 60 years across a wide spectrum of genres and media, this exhibition examines how artists have engaged members of the public as essential collaborators in the art-making process. Works by more than 40 artists will be on view, from early performance and conceptual pieces by such pioneers as John Cage, Lygia Clark, Dan Graham, and Hans Haacke to contemporary projects by Jochen Gerz, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Lynn Hershman Leeson, and Erwin Wurm, among others. Encompassing restagings of historic installations as well as new commissions that invite your direct participation, the exhibition will change in form and content as you and other visitors contribute — either at the museum or online."
View... and participate in online works of art in the exhibition here.
Take part in the online discussion of the exhibition on the SF MOMA blog.
Visit while you can!
Participating Artists:Abramović/Ulay
Vito Acconci
Francis Alÿs
John Baldessari
Joseph Beuys
Blank & Jeron and Gerrit Gohlke
George Brecht
Jonah Brucker-Cohen and Mike Bennett
John Cage
c a l c and Johannes Gees
Janet Cardiff
Lygia Clark
Minerva Cuevas
Maria Eichhorn
VALIE EXPORT
Harrell Fletcher and Jon Rubin
Fluxus Collective
Kit Galloway and Sherrie Rabinowitz
Jochen Gerz
Matthias Gommel
Felix Gonzalez-Torres
Dan Graham
Hans Haacke
Hans Haacke
Lynn Hershman Leeson
Allan Kaprow
Henning Lohner and Van Carlson
Chip Lord, Curtis Schreier, and Bruce Tomb
Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
Tom Marioni
MTAA (M.River and T.Whid Art Associates)
Antoni Muntadas
Yoko Ono
Nam June Paik
Dan Phiffer and Mushon Zer-Aviv
Raqs Media Collective
Robert Rauschenberg
Warren Sack
Mieko Shiomi
Torolab
Wolf Vostell
Andy Warhol
Stephen Willats
Erwin Wurm
10.12.08
Tino Sehgal in NY Magazine "Best of Art" Rankings
For his top ten art shows of 2008, Jerry Saltz selected Tino Sehgal's February 2008 show at Marian Goodman as #1.
This means that RA* might actually get some critical attention in NYC and great European artists and RA* pioneers like Tino Sehgal can look forward to bringing the art and social practice/relational art conversation to the seat of the empire, perhaps.
* RA = 'Relational Aesthetics' also known as 'Relational Art' also known as 'Art and Social Practice'
See Saltz' Top Nine Shows (and One Event) at NY Magazine.com
NY Times Review of the show* RA = 'Relational Aesthetics' also known as 'Relational Art' also known as 'Art and Social Practice'
See Saltz' Top Nine Shows (and One Event) at NY Magazine.com
Making Senses of It All Review of Sehgal
13.11.08
Harrell Fletcher arrives in Jackson, TN
the Lyceum Committee of Union University presents:HARRELL FLETCHER
lecture november 13th 7:30pm
Hartley Recital Hall located in Jennings Hall
Union University 1050 Union University Drive
jackson. tn 38305 information 731.668.1818
Visit his online projects:
LEARNING TO LOVE YOU MORE
SOME PEOPLE
lecture november 13th 7:30pm
Hartley Recital Hall located in Jennings Hall
Union University 1050 Union University Drive
jackson. tn 38305 information 731.668.1818
Visit his online projects:
LEARNING TO LOVE YOU MORE
SOME PEOPLE
His professional biography:
Harrell Fletcher has worked collaboratively and individually
on a variety of socially engaged, interdisciplinary projects for
over fifteen years. His work has been shown at SF MoMA,
the de Young Museum, The Berkeley Art Museum, and Yerba
Buena Center For The Arts in the San Francisco Bay Area,
The Drawing Center, Socrates Sculpture Park, The Sculpture
Center, The Wrong Gallery, and Smackmellon in NYC,
DiverseWorks and Aurora Picture show in Houston, TX, PICA
in Portland, OR, CoCA and The Seattle Art Museum in Seattle,
WA, Signal in Malmo, Sweden, Domain de Kerguehennec
in France, and The Royal College of Art in London.
Fletcher exhibits in San Francisco and Los Angeles with Jack
Hanley Gallery, in NYC with Christine Burgin Gallery, in London
with Laura Bartlett Gallery, and Paris with Gallery In Situ. He was
a participant in the 2004 Whitney Biennial. Fletcher has work
in the collections of MoMA, The Whitney Museum, The New
Museum, SFMoMA, The Berkeley Art Museum, The De Young
Museum, and The FRAC Brittany, France. In 2002 Fletcher
started Learning To Love You More, an ongoing participatory
website with Miranda July. A book version LTLYM was published
in 2007 by Prestel. Fletcher is the 2005 recipient of the Alpert
Award in Visual Arts. His exhibition The American War originated
in 2005 at ArtPace in San Antonio, TX, and traveled to Solvent
Space in Richmond, VA, White Columns in NYC, The Center For
Advanced Visual Studies MIT in Boston, MA, PICA in Portland,
OR, and LAXART in Los Angeles among other locations. Fletcher
is a Professor of Art and Social Practice at Portland State
University in Portland, Oregon.
Check out his publications:
and others.
ONLINE RESOURCES:
SFAI ARTIST LECTURE: Harrell Fletcher offers an artist lecture at the San Francisco Art Institute. (mp3 download)
MIT STUDIO SEMINAR ON PUBLIC ART: John Malpede with Harrell Fletcher, April 27, 2006 (video download)
ART TALK AM ON THE RADIO: Portland State Radio interview with Harrell Fletcher and Jen Delos Reyes (mp3 download)
OPEN ENGAGEMENT/Art after Aesthetic Distance: Conference on art and social practice with Harrell Fletcher, keynote speaker and guest artist.
Urban Outfitters Review
Try an assignment from LEARNING TO LOVE YOU MORE:
#10 Make a Flier of Your Day
on a variety of socially engaged, interdisciplinary projects for
over fifteen years. His work has been shown at SF MoMA,
the de Young Museum, The Berkeley Art Museum, and Yerba
Buena Center For The Arts in the San Francisco Bay Area,
The Drawing Center, Socrates Sculpture Park, The Sculpture
Center, The Wrong Gallery, and Smackmellon in NYC,
DiverseWorks and Aurora Picture show in Houston, TX, PICA
in Portland, OR, CoCA and The Seattle Art Museum in Seattle,
WA, Signal in Malmo, Sweden, Domain de Kerguehennec
in France, and The Royal College of Art in London.
Fletcher exhibits in San Francisco and Los Angeles with Jack
Hanley Gallery, in NYC with Christine Burgin Gallery, in London
with Laura Bartlett Gallery, and Paris with Gallery In Situ. He was
a participant in the 2004 Whitney Biennial. Fletcher has work
in the collections of MoMA, The Whitney Museum, The New
Museum, SFMoMA, The Berkeley Art Museum, The De Young
Museum, and The FRAC Brittany, France. In 2002 Fletcher
started Learning To Love You More, an ongoing participatory
website with Miranda July. A book version LTLYM was published
in 2007 by Prestel. Fletcher is the 2005 recipient of the Alpert
Award in Visual Arts. His exhibition The American War originated
in 2005 at ArtPace in San Antonio, TX, and traveled to Solvent
Space in Richmond, VA, White Columns in NYC, The Center For
Advanced Visual Studies MIT in Boston, MA, PICA in Portland,
OR, and LAXART in Los Angeles among other locations. Fletcher
is a Professor of Art and Social Practice at Portland State
University in Portland, Oregon.
Check out his publications:
and others.
ONLINE RESOURCES:
SFAI ARTIST LECTURE: Harrell Fletcher offers an artist lecture at the San Francisco Art Institute. (mp3 download)
MIT STUDIO SEMINAR ON PUBLIC ART: John Malpede with Harrell Fletcher, April 27, 2006 (video download)
ART TALK AM ON THE RADIO: Portland State Radio interview with Harrell Fletcher and Jen Delos Reyes (mp3 download)
OPEN ENGAGEMENT/Art after Aesthetic Distance: Conference on art and social practice with Harrell Fletcher, keynote speaker and guest artist.
Urban Outfitters Review
Try an assignment from LEARNING TO LOVE YOU MORE:
#10 Make a Flier of Your Day
11.3.07
art... Tino Sehgal
Tino Seghal
This Success or This Failure
Institute of Contemporary Art, London
29 January - 4 March 2007
Pushing open the large, heavy door to the main gallery I see ten or so children of various ages and one adult dispersed throughout the room. Amid the stark white walls of the gallery and the bare concrete floor, the pulsing shapes of children at play begin to animate the space and dispel its visual emptiness. Besides the occasional effervescent peep or giggle, the hushed mood of the room seems at once disturbed by my obvious intrusion, but I soon learn that the game at hand is Sleeping Lions, a game that depends upon a certain attempt at quiet. Out of instinct I approach the adult, but she seems disinterested by my presence. The children, however, are only too inviting. In the short time since my intrusion, the children seem to have identified a winner, and its time for a new game to begin.
Alright, time for an abrupt change. The new game will be Sleeping Bears instead of Sleeping Lions; both involve the same rules but yield a contrast undecipherable to anyone unable to distinguish the roar of a lion from the roar of a bear. My focused study of the group has generated curiosity among my subjects. They perceive my smile as a subtle request to join them. I am only too willing.
Like the other participants, I lie down on the bare concrete and silently await the hunters. With eyes closed, I listen for the other bears to be awoken by the stealthy hunters as they stalk and startle their prey. Peeking only occasionally to assure myself that I am not the only participant left alone on the floor, I wait to receive the due attention of the hunters. Before long, footsteps creep toward me and the ferocious growl of a child comes down upon me. Elated, I open my eyes to stare face to face with a giddy, smiling seven year old boy. He has played well his part in this game, and I am only too happy to be his prey.
For only a moment, my elation is pure and tangible. Not only am I accepted and included, but I have played an integral role in the joy of others. My participation has added something wholly unique to the moment. The game is a better one for my involvement in it, of this I am at once quite certain.
As I rise from my sleeping posture, I notice the walls of the gallery lined with several more adults, just watching and observing the random play before them. They have crept in unnoticed and remained beyond the boundaries of our game. They sit with blank expressions on their faces and exude a sense of disappointment.
This success or this failure.
Soon a fresh group of children arrives in the room, and those I have played with are gone for a break. I am not surprised to learn that the artwork consists only within this gallery. Like the experience of most of Sehgal's work, I exit with more questions than answers.
Let me say very clearly to the skeptical: this piece is not an experiment. But rather, it was a moment, a completely unrepeatable opportunity. Sehgal has offered each visitor either the chance to redeem a small interval of time or the invitation to lose another moment to distant observation.
Fortunately for us, the general ambiguity of his work and the lack of dictated instruction allows each visitor to internalize the opportunity for maximum effect. Without a prescription for success in this interpersonal puzzle, each person must confront their own fears and anxieties in order to learn what they wish to gain or lose from each experience. Sehgal has placed this type of moment under the microscope of careful reflection by constructing these authentic encounters in the gallery. They feel so real because they are, and they are real so that they might have an actual effect on one's daily life.
How many opportunities like these fill our days without us ever engaging them with such introspection? I would guess quite a few of these moments pass us by each day. Most of us have never taken a moment to consider just how isolated we are as individuals in today's complex web of social specialization. Where is the meaningful contact that we all long for? Could it be just beyond the bubble of one's own perceptions of isolation, alienation and loneliness?
To redeem these moments for all the good that God has hidden within them, one must venture a great risk. I must wager my own vulnerability against the potential effects (both positive and negative) of interaction. What is the good news of Jesus' restoration and reconciliation of sinners to God and to one anther if not a promise of hope for such free and honest exchanges? It has taken the giddy smiles of young faces in Sehgal's relational space to help me recall this great truth; no doubt a providential gift to a father awaiting the arrival of his first child.
In this way, perhaps, Sehgal's This Success or This Failure is a poignant emblem of the choice embedded within the contemporary challenges of engaging art. We all want a meaningful experience of art, but how many of us are willing to extend the personal wager it might require to ensure such an experience? It seems that the climate of contemporary art refuses to accommodate the social specializations that sustain our comfortable isolations, and therefore we may need to adjust our own modes of perception and engagement to find a way through.
This problem or this possibility...
Alright, time for an abrupt change. The new game will be Sleeping Bears instead of Sleeping Lions; both involve the same rules but yield a contrast undecipherable to anyone unable to distinguish the roar of a lion from the roar of a bear. My focused study of the group has generated curiosity among my subjects. They perceive my smile as a subtle request to join them. I am only too willing.
Like the other participants, I lie down on the bare concrete and silently await the hunters. With eyes closed, I listen for the other bears to be awoken by the stealthy hunters as they stalk and startle their prey. Peeking only occasionally to assure myself that I am not the only participant left alone on the floor, I wait to receive the due attention of the hunters. Before long, footsteps creep toward me and the ferocious growl of a child comes down upon me. Elated, I open my eyes to stare face to face with a giddy, smiling seven year old boy. He has played well his part in this game, and I am only too happy to be his prey.
For only a moment, my elation is pure and tangible. Not only am I accepted and included, but I have played an integral role in the joy of others. My participation has added something wholly unique to the moment. The game is a better one for my involvement in it, of this I am at once quite certain.
As I rise from my sleeping posture, I notice the walls of the gallery lined with several more adults, just watching and observing the random play before them. They have crept in unnoticed and remained beyond the boundaries of our game. They sit with blank expressions on their faces and exude a sense of disappointment.
This success or this failure.
Soon a fresh group of children arrives in the room, and those I have played with are gone for a break. I am not surprised to learn that the artwork consists only within this gallery. Like the experience of most of Sehgal's work, I exit with more questions than answers.
Let me say very clearly to the skeptical: this piece is not an experiment. But rather, it was a moment, a completely unrepeatable opportunity. Sehgal has offered each visitor either the chance to redeem a small interval of time or the invitation to lose another moment to distant observation.
Fortunately for us, the general ambiguity of his work and the lack of dictated instruction allows each visitor to internalize the opportunity for maximum effect. Without a prescription for success in this interpersonal puzzle, each person must confront their own fears and anxieties in order to learn what they wish to gain or lose from each experience. Sehgal has placed this type of moment under the microscope of careful reflection by constructing these authentic encounters in the gallery. They feel so real because they are, and they are real so that they might have an actual effect on one's daily life.
How many opportunities like these fill our days without us ever engaging them with such introspection? I would guess quite a few of these moments pass us by each day. Most of us have never taken a moment to consider just how isolated we are as individuals in today's complex web of social specialization. Where is the meaningful contact that we all long for? Could it be just beyond the bubble of one's own perceptions of isolation, alienation and loneliness?
To redeem these moments for all the good that God has hidden within them, one must venture a great risk. I must wager my own vulnerability against the potential effects (both positive and negative) of interaction. What is the good news of Jesus' restoration and reconciliation of sinners to God and to one anther if not a promise of hope for such free and honest exchanges? It has taken the giddy smiles of young faces in Sehgal's relational space to help me recall this great truth; no doubt a providential gift to a father awaiting the arrival of his first child.
In this way, perhaps, Sehgal's This Success or This Failure is a poignant emblem of the choice embedded within the contemporary challenges of engaging art. We all want a meaningful experience of art, but how many of us are willing to extend the personal wager it might require to ensure such an experience? It seems that the climate of contemporary art refuses to accommodate the social specializations that sustain our comfortable isolations, and therefore we may need to adjust our own modes of perception and engagement to find a way through.
This problem or this possibility...
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