An Installation as a Passive Performance. Or, Something that doesn't make sense now will make sense later.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
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In considering an upcoming installation that Brett Walker and I are doing, I began thinking about "passive performative installations" (for lack of a better term). A work that is created and exhibited, but the viewers are not given the necessary information to completely understand the work. However, later in the documentation and supplementary text the visual and conceptual elements are completely explained and the viewer's response and confusion become part of the work. A tension is created with the initial viewer experience and it is resolved in the presentation of the documentation. I find the situation interesting where seeing the exhibition is not as important to experiencing the work as seeing the documentation.
This is a far from new idea. Many people use this strategy, Maurizio Cattelan comes to mind as does a recent installation at The Wrong Gallery by Michael Elmgreen & Ingar Dragset. These types of things can come off as one-liners, but a good one-liner is very hard to make.
This is a far from new idea. Many people use this strategy, Maurizio Cattelan comes to mind as does a recent installation at The Wrong Gallery by Michael Elmgreen & Ingar Dragset. These types of things can come off as one-liners, but a good one-liner is very hard to make.
Labels: art, brett walker, ideas