"This place you see has no size at all..."

Kadist Art Foundation
Design by Stéphane Argillet		"This place you see has no size at all..." December 4, 2009 - February 7, 2010 Opening: Friday December 4, 2009, from 6-9pm Curated by Jennifer Teets Kadist Art Foundation, Paris 19 bis - 21 rue des Trois Frères 75018 Paris, France http://www.kadist.org
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With existing and newly commissioned works by: David Adamo, Mark Aerial Waller, Mariana Castillo Deball, Aslı Çavuşoğlu, Alex Cecchetti, Kate Costello, France Fiction, Darius Mikšys, Tania Pérez Córdova, Michael Portnoy, Pietro Roccasalva, Alex Waterman Writings by Mark von Schlegell Madame, Monsieur, Everything I am about to tell you began with a sighting of a heron in a tree. There I was in the Jardin Trocadero at the Parc de Saint Cloud on a late summer afternoon, burying the bones of Tom Ripley, in what the history books told me was once a labyrinth. When I looked around, I noticed that the place had no size at all. In one instance, the landscape was unusually curvy and in another, intricate alleyways and corridors appeared miraculously as I turned corners. Though I could see no one, a flurry of recombinant voices echoed from the hedges and the dialogues of fourteen individuals began to take on the qualities of those around them, in a seemingly ritualistic order. "This place you see has no size at all..." is an exhibition rooted in the possibility of virtual and parallel worlds as a viable platform for the production and consumption of art. Originally proposed as an out-of the box adaptation to an "alternate reality game", on July 22, 2009, artists were convened from around the globe to partake in a "scenario" at the Parc de Saint Cloud in Paris, of which they had little knowledge of, yet were immediate to its origin of initiation. In collaboration with sci-fi writer Mark von Schlegell, an abstract time-travel guide was scripted, combining clues, facts, and prompts around the peculiarities of the garden together with the singular questions: What could you perceive as the present? What are the elements of the present? Who are the members of the present? The guide spawned a chain of events suggested by and created for each of the artists with the purpose of activating a work and a communication process. Puzzles, motion, fictitious force, heuristics, chambres, a perte de vue, lost item, incoherency, the dead end. In one of the alleyways I found a man resting on a bed-sheet. He was surveying the universe with a planisphere. He told me he got there via an air balloon in order to produce a shroud, that this shroud was an embodiment of all of us. A fiction of the strangest kind that can't be materialized in any known form of art including classical conceptualism. He held an invisibility cloak that somehow protected him from the world of visible matter. It was sure to give him good fortune. A hypothetical collective structure, a private happening, and now exhibition, "This place you see has no size at all..." is purportedly non site-specific; on the contrary it grapples with the objectives of context. At Kadist, newly commissioned works are paired together with existing works, prompting an array of interactions, relationships, and readings in the exhibition setting. Schedule of parallel exhibitions and performances: Opening night: Friday, December 4th: Michael Portnoy presents, "Met ton doigt quelque part!", said Theo. 7:30pm, Kadist Art Foundation Saturday, December 5th: FRANCE FICTION, parallel exhibition, 6pm, FRANCE FICTION, 6bis rue de Forez 75003 Thursday, January 7th: LOVE THE CLEAR DARK, story by Mark von Schlegell, radio play and soundtrack by Alex Waterman, 7:30pm, Kadist Art Foundation Performed live by Mark von Schlegell and Alex Waterman with additional voices by Jennifer Teets. Wednesday February, 3rd: guided tour with Alex Cecchetti, Musée du Louvre, 7pm. Meeting point to be confirmed. This project has been realized with the generous support of The Elephant Trust and the Saison de la Turquie in France. Special thanks to Germana Innerhofer Jaulin Kadist Art Foundation 19 bis - 21 rue des Trois Frères, 75018 Paris, France Gallery Hours: Thursdays-Sundays, 2-7pm http://www.kadist.org |

More about our conversation last week.

HI Everyone,

I've thought a lot about our conversation last week and I want to thank you for bringing your concerns to me. I have a few things to add:

1. Whether you realize it or not, I saw evidence that some of what we talk about in class in the last round of projects. So it is seeping in. However, I have been a bit taken back by what I perceive to be a lackadaisical attitude to producing work. Remember that this is an upper level research seminar, you are expected to bring your studio practice to class. It shouldn't be my responsibility to prod you into making work in a conscientious way. I hope that you will all take your final projects more seriously than any of the previous ones. Sloppy or half hearted work will be graded punitively. We will have the rest of the semester to work on these projects. If you choose not to take advantage of mid-progress critiques there is nothing I can do to help you.

2. Education is not Entertainment and it is part of your job to as a student to make the leap towards the material rather than the other way round. I'm sorry if not all parts of the course have been interesting to each of you personally, however they were never meant to be, so tough. When I ask you to consider the internet's structure or culture in light of the theory we have read it means exactly that. That is the class, that is the work I want you to do. If it does not interest you to do it, or if it conflicts with an idea or value you already hold, well, that's too bad. I made it clear in the syllabus that this class would involve reading primary sources and doing primary research in relation to digital communication culture. I also made clear that we would not be looking at many artists. There may be graphic designers doing interesting design work for the internet but this class is not about cool visuals.

3. I set myself the task of introducing to you some of the major considerations of 20th century media studies which have had a profound influence on artists, e.g. the notion of the disciplined society, how to negotiate alterity, what constitutes an Image in a contemporary culture replete with images. These are not petty concerns, and they are definitely not "filler". Simply because they do not speak directly of the twinkling lights and dazzling gew gaws of internet culture does not mean they have no application. In fact, these are large and enduring issues which outlive any particular technology. In fact my other task for the class was to identify whether and how these concerns have been transformed by the new conditions of this most recent industrial revolution and how these can transform your work. I think we have made some progress there.

I look forward to seeing your presentations next thursday.

SL

Where are your questions for Bryan Zera???

NOt everyone has submitted something. I am going to send them to him tommorow regardless.

Torture Powerpoint

E.J's Crit

Hi E.J.

You set this up really well, very simple but effective. I know you are really interested in performance and the body. I would like to hear how you can relate this sort of practice to some of the things we discuss in class.

SL

Bruce's Crit

HI Bruce,

So I think there is a disconnect between the drawing and the sculpture. They work fine independently but I feel that you forced them together because the assignment stipulated you had to have 2 or more elements. You seem very keen on illustration. I think a comic strip or zine could work very well, especially online as a blog with links to the source images. Could be very complex and interesting.

SL

Jessica's crit

HI Jessica,

So I think this material is really difficult for you to deal with a source for artwork right now. Hmmm. I don't feel comfortable insisting that you use it. One thing to do would be to use your discomfort as primary source material rather than the images themselves. You could narrate a video, do screen captures from the internet... Anyone have any ideas?

SL

Leilah's Crit

Hi Leilah,

So, I think the many elements in this piece work together in an interesting way. The powerpoint presentation with the laugh track and images, the skull images and skulls and anti-war pin. There is something about all these elements are meant to be entertaining... However, you MUST take more control over your presentation. Using the whiteboard and room projector seems too unconsidered. Also, for this to become a multimedia installtion there has to be more, well, media. More skulls, more images ... I would like to see this installation cover a room.

SL

Josh's Crit

Hi Josh,

So this found object ( found objects do not need to be 3d things only) of the soft torture playlist is quite sensational, which makes it difficult material. I think your decision to play them for the audience is good. I like the durational aspect of that work. I think we all agree the sculptures didn't work. If you want to investigate the relationship between that music and figurative sculpture there are many strategies to take. We didn't talk so much about that, maybe you can clarify your intentions with regards to that aspect. The music and its purpose is so overpowering. That these tunes are regular bar tunes but also torture music is interesting and says something curious about humans' relationship to music. I think you need to clarify your position towards this music, when you know what you have to say about it, the work will follow.

SL

p.s it's taking way too long to upload documentation the video. I'll try again later.

Joel's crit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEOxNS8S-Ww

HI Joel,

I think your action of making a video response to a found slide montage of the photos on youtube was a great one. It's a shame the maker of the video didn't appreciate it and cancelled your response. I think you should do more responses. As you said, you were representing something you think many Americans feel, but there are many possible responses. Finally, you should set up the piece for an audience, so maybe walk us through it via a screencapture? I also want to commend you for making something which addressed the assignment completely ( regarding the internet presence of the photos).

ABU GHRAIB PLAYLIST

1. Queen - We are the Champions

2. Metallica - Enter Sandman

3. Prine - Raspberry Beret

4. Christina Aguilera - Dirrty

5. AC/DC - Shoot to Thrill

6. 2 Pac - All Eyes on Me

7. Rage Against the Machine - Killing in the Name

8. NIN - March of the Pigs

9. Eminem - White America

10. Bee Gees - Stayin' Alive

Karen's Crit

HI Karen,

So to reiterate what we spoke about during the class critique: I liked very much how you connect the set of 2-dimensional photographs with sensory experience. It is a worthwhile connection to pursue. I liked also how you tried to "fill in" the missing eperience of the photographs while depriving us of vision, so the lights out, but strong smell, unpredictable contact with the performer etc all worked very well. What I think you should work out is how to connect the performance with the images more clearly. If i did not know what the assignment was I would not have made the connection. You should also consider how you would do this performance in a gallery or museum. I also think a larger room would work better.

HOw does Facebook know you're gay and other questions.

http://www.slate.com/id/2234734/

I came across this Q and A page about tech issues. How are the questions for Bryan Zera coming along?

SL

About yesterday's crits

Okay, I thought everyone did a great job starting an interesting project. Now, our job in this class will be to AMP IT UP. Ideas need to be given form, developed, tested ... in order to transform in actual works of art. I would like to continue the critique discussions here on the blog over the next week. Joel already posted a link to his video, I will post my documentation here and on youtube. Please post comments over the next week.

abu ghraib american barbarism response (mask)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEOxNS8S-Ww

abu ghraib art

karen and i found these art stuffs together. her computer isn't working so i'm making the post from mine.

check out these links (click the photos):

Tim Shaw - UK artist works in mixed media












Legofesto - blogger and photographer makes lego reenactments of political crimes












Think Faesthetic - user-generated political art/activism, mixed media