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.
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I love the idea of temporary contact with strangers, particularly after watching the great lengths people go to to avoid even the smallest communication, such as eye contact, with their fellow travellers on trains, buses etc.
I once had a conversation with this guy on a bus who said he often had conversations with strangers, and they'd always get scared off, thinking he'd try and mug them or something. It was great - we discussed his family, education, social interactions, careers - and at the end of it all he just got off at his stop, without either of us learning the other's name.
I reckon people need more of that -human contact with no strings attached (e.g. obligations to follow up discussions).
Anyway, I love the idea of the anger management workshop - like you said, losing control in a controlled environment, and making personal things public - but was there a big audience watching? I can imagine that that might have effected the extent to which people felt they could "lose control".
I had a look and the anger workshops will be running from Monday 1st Semptember to Sunday the 7th September. It says bookings perferred so perhaps when we all go to Gallery of NSW on Tuesday we could make bookings then? I think it sounds like a wonderful experience. It's like Ringhold says, How many opportunities would arise to swear and yell in a prestigious Gallery?
I also think it's fascinating that"People are experts at becoming angry in real life, with road rage and things like that, but in this I think we'll actually see a reversal. People will find it very difficult to shout and yell for five minutes and it will be comparatively easier to tell someone they love them - just the opposite to the way it is in real life."
I think the main thing that's missed in this concept of 'forced anger', is that the richness of emotions usually comes from the events they are attached to, forcing them just feels strange.
I thought that was kind of the point.
i would love to do one of these workshops! And in response to meg, one time random conversations with strangers are awesome indeed, aren't they!
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