loud silence, 2005-07

I came across his short video piece and wondered what you guys thought. It is dated 2005 to 2007 so it is contemporary unlike many of the on line postings. As I read it the oxymoron loud silence is extended to the visual which shows a coin (security) blanket under which a dark skinned female sleeper tosses uncomfortably in her sleep. The sound track is of the clinking and rustling of the coins interspersed with breathing. The camera highlights the male profile on the coins.  Linking the ideas together - hegemony of the state which is male over a female of a less powerful social group who is sleeping and mute, her lack of comfort under the weight of coins though she was dressed nicely in lingerie. The inference being the false security of money and that sometime she will wake up and cast off this blanket. 

But I had to ask myself.. what if the blanket was made of paper money - much more comfortable, harder to wake up from. It seems the issues being explored have not changed much or is it my interpretation is stuck in my frame of reference??

NEWS: Get into IT!

3.4 SEEKING VOLUNTEERS FOR PERFORMANCE SPACE’S WINTER PROGRAM

Performance Space is seeking dedicated volunteers to assist with two upcoming works in their winter program: Eveleigh City Raceway, a new installation commission by Marley Dawson and Christopher Hanrahan and LiveWorks – a series of workshops, exchanges, talk events and performances.

Volunteer benefits include:
· Professional training in gallery invigilation and related customer service,
· Membership to Performance Space,
· A ticket for you and your friend to a performance during our program,
· Invitation to the opening event, and
· A letter of professional recommendation listing your training, tasks and duties while volunteering.

For more information and to register your interest, please contact
admin@performancespace.com.au or 02 8571 9111. Get into it!

Anger management

I took part in the 'anger management workshop' held at the gallery NSW by artist Stuart Ringholt during the holidays. It's held in a small carpeted room at the back of the gallery, to sum it up you all take off your shoes, get angry (verbally and physically) then embrace strangers and tell them you love them while staring deeply into their eyes.
It was an unusual experience to have, especially within a gallery. I suppose that was the works intention, to lose control in one of the most controlled environments, the gallery.
I'm pretty sure it's still going on, you should all give it a try! I found the getting angry bit pretty hard and sort of pointless (others definitely didn't) but I did enjoy embracing a skinny young man that smelt like clean laundry at the end.

The Biennale as a 'Shopping Centre'

I was very excited to see an artwork by Maurizio Cattelan accompanying the Sydney Morning Herald's Article on The Biennale as a 'consumer item'. I remember reading 'Maurizio Catttelan' (Phaidon) and in it they were discussing his first Biennale, in which he rented his alloted space to an advertising company- I think it was a perfume company- and used their billboard as his artwork. In an interview Cattelan said that he did this because he had run out of time to do his own work and this seemed like an easy way to get something in there and to make some money. This seems to parallel a common opinion of the Biennale.

The article also said that in this Sydney Biennale was 'revolutionary' as, rather than being commericial it was giving it's 'product' away for free. But in we are all well aware that revolution is hugely popular in the art world, and that being revolutionary or different is going to attract attention, not just from the public but from the media and the art world creme.

"do you listen to the radio?YES, A LOT, BUT I LOOK FOR COMMERCIALS."

Marcel Duchamp's Bicycle Wheel

Hi Guys,

I'm sure we've all seen this photo of Marcel Duchamp's readymade sculpture "Bicycle Wheel." (click HERE to see a photo) But next week at the Gallery of NSW we will get to see it in the flesh... very exciting. What do you guys think of this Dada sculpture?

Here is some info. on the artwork:

Artist: Marcel Duchamp

Title: Bicycle Wheel

Date: 1913

Size: Bicycle wheel, diameter 64.8cm, mounted on a stool, 60.2cm high

Biennale - Julie Rrap

I was very excited to see Julie Rrap at the Biennale!!!!
This work fits in with her ouvre, with her ever expanding fascination with 'the body'. She has cast her body in clay, in a fetal position and has attached a plait down the back and between the cheeks of her backside.
good one jules.

On Cohen...

I'm reading one of Leonard Cohen's poetry books, and it's quite awesome! It's called "The Book Of Longing"

There is a poem called "something from the early seventies". It's basicalley a prose recounting of the art world's reaction to his "black photographs". Basically he would go to a public space such a subway, spend a long time setting a up a shot then place his hand over the lens when taking the photo. I'm not sure if he actually did this, it could be fictous, but I'm guessing he did. He explains how people kept trying to interpret but nobody got it right... exept for Nico! (as in 'and the velvet underground). Apprently she understood immediatley why he did this. According to his biography he was very much in love with Nico, only she didnt love him back. How sad!!

I'd transcrobe the poem on to here but it's really long, so buy it at michelle's store when you buy art and today from her!!

Biennale Web Link

here is a link to a Biennale website

Biennale - Julie Rrap

I was very excited to see Julie Rrap at the Biennale!!!!
This work fits in with her ouvre, with her ever expanding fascination with 'the body'. She has cast her body in clay, in a fetal position and has attached a plait down the back and between the cheeks of her backside.
good one jules.

Polanski Double Feature!

Who likes Roman Polanksi? Double feature showing Cul De Sac and Repulsion this Sunday, 4pm at the Chauvel.

Biennale Syndrome...?

What about Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev so called Biennale Syndrome...?

'I use the term to describe the situation where there is a biennale in almost in every city, so the good aspect of the Biennale Syndrome is of course that contemporary art gains a space in daily life, which in many ways was a utopian ideal, actually of the very radical 1960s& On the other hand, however, I think it is an expression of a crazy sort of disease of consumer culture, where everything has been consumed.'

Biennale of Sydney REVIEWS

• SMH June 12, 2008

• ARTLINK Vol 28 #1

• The Australian June 18 2008

• The Australian June 28 2008 - Adam Geczy
  

ART & REVOLUTIONS - Biennales.

Biennales in the conditions of contemporaneity

"Why is it that the biennale has become so important to international visual arts? How does it do its job now, compared to other types of exhibitions such as theme shows, historical surveys, retrospectives, open salons, competitions, art fairs and group shows organised by artists' cooperatives? Are biennales telling us more about the state of contemporary art than the writings of critics and historians?" Terry Smith - Autumn 2005 issue of Art & Australia.

You can read this article in more depth here: http://www.artaustralia.com/article.asp?issue_id=3&article_id=6

I think Terry Smith raises an interesting point:
What is the role of the Biennale?
To exhibit the best new work by contemporary artists?
Or to present a survey, contextualized by a general theme - such as 'Revolutions - Forms that Turn' - thus initiating / inciting new readings of older works together with more contemporary pieces - art presented as a tapestry of ideas?!
What does the 2008 Sydney Biennale say about Art today?