Recently we’ve been deliberating over some ideas that are more about dissolving into the white walls of the gallery space. These included cooking (or burning) something in the space, just before the opening, leaving only the odour of a previous event. We’re playing with this idea of telling a story or writing narrative based on something other than the visual. We would like the smell generated to somehow promote different memories and stories within the heads of different people from varying socio-economic backgrounds. The sense of smell is closely linked with memory, probably more so than any of our other senses. Those with full olfactory function may be able to think of smells that evoke particular memories; the smell of an orchard in blossom conjuring up recollections of a childhood picnic etc etc. There’s also an in interesting fact that when asked to recall a particular smell (burnt toast for example) it’s impossible; smells are therefore made even more intangible.
Another one of these ideas was based on the fact that museums and galleries have sophisticated air-conditioning systems in place to maintain constant environmental conditions. This is due to fluctuations in temperature and humidity set up cycles of expansion and contraction which will inexorably lead to the deterioration of paintings. Our plan was then to set the heat in a gallery to a critical temperature that would be fatal to paintings and therefore not a temperature that one is exposed to when experiencing art. This isn’t an aggressive ‘no paintings allowed’ work, but more an investigation into how art is treated and the notion of how we attribute value to (art)objects; things in the environment where the temperature is lower are more valuable than things contained in a hotter environment.
We also thought about setting up free Wi-Fi as a work, with the name and password being a question and answer of sorts. Constructing a bin from a specific place and putting it into the gallery is comes into this too; telling a story by the rubbish that the location it’s in produces. A bin overflowing with empty bottles of water could be one from a festival or from the top of a mountain or simply somewhere with a hot climate. Designing gallery furniture also fitted into this train of thought – inside museums are always places to sit and observe the work, but if the work is the chair/sofa then the observation comes with the action of sitting. It’s also a contribution to the other works in the show; people now have a place to sit and consider how they feel about the works in front of them.
This combination of invisible art yet contributing to others work comes around again in the form of our piece in a group show being to hire a photographer for the exhibition. This is looking into art as a service and how to materialise that service in the form of an artwork itself. It also creates a certain level of mystery when looking round the show – an exhibition with 5 people and from what a viewer can see, there are only 4 works. Only by reading the press release will it be revealed that the photographer wasn’t a photographer at all but a piece in the show. However, this instigates a line of questioning involving the photos being taken. Are they ours? Are they theirs? This would need to be considered via some sort of contractual agreement prior to their employment.
The last day of the RCA shows was yesterday so we thought we best take a look! There was a huge range of works, as usual, and some very comprehensive ones included. Dew Kim’s installation ‘Take Me To Church’ involved a ritual-like consumption of a boiled egg, projected off a mirror onto a domed ceiling. This was accompanied by a solitary communion rail with sparkly cushions and a small indent into wall where one might find a small statue of the crucifixion.
We were highly entertained by Lucy Mayes’ ‘Sport Café73’ which manifested as various memorabilia from dart boards to urinals branded with the Sport Café73 logo.
Finally a selection of works that relate to what we were talking about earlier with reference to art which sinks into the background. Initially we questioned whether some of the objects were in fact art at all (we love photographs of people looking at various things in galleries, which are only there out of coincidence, but since they have fallen between the white walls are put under the umbrella of art). Paula Linke displayed a water cooler that was filled with the cocktail Tequila Sunrise and maybe 20 of what appeared to be the same key on a metal chain fixing that would usually hold a plug. There was also a mobile phone hanging from the ceiling which when put to ones ear could be heard whispering the phrase ‘let me be your usb stick’ over and over.