Olafur Elaisson: Take Your Time

Olafur Eliasson, 360° room for all colours, 2002; installation view at the

Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, Germany, 2004; Private collection, courtesy
Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York; photo: Jens Ziehe; © 2009 Olafur
Eliasson. Permission to reproduce from MOCA, Chicago.

Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
May 1, 2009

Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson's solo exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago is certainly an exhibition that will awaken senses and sensations that may have lay dormant. Eliasson says that his art works are "devices for the experience of reality." Each formal work embodies elements which create independently immersive environments; collectively, they form an experience of intense individual perception.

360 room for all colours, 2002, is situated further within the gallery spaces - reachable via two paths of entry - glowing like a pulsating beacon. The controlled unit environment is contained within a white rotunda - the structure sound and tactile from the exterior and bewilderingly ethereal on the interior - immersing the viewer in a extremely reductive landscape via the color spectrum. Immediately, the intensity of light and color forces the viewer to make cognitive adjustments and even the muscles of the eyes and face react uncontrollably to the abrupt change in environment creating self-awareness. Then suddenly, as if a spectacularly zenith moment takes over, the body settles into the new space and light. Interestingly, the mind does not. As the physical body adjusts, the mind flows serenely through the space attempting to explore these newly introduced perceptions of space and color, both tangible and intangible. I found myself suddenly relaxed and moving my eyes and hands very slowly through the space in an effort to wrap my mind around the mechanics of the work and at the same time experiencing the sensations that flowed in as the fluorescent lights engulfed the space. My mind and body truly began to slow down.

The wonderful thing about this show is that each work and each new space that one moves through in the gallery evokes a new new combination of sensations and a new dichotomy between tangible and intangible senses of perception. Passing over to the the South gallery space of the museum a brilliant yellow light from Room for one colour, 1997, beckons the viewer into a long narrow hall. Intense monochromatic bulbs move along the ceiling of the hall in striation, emitting light at a very narrow frequency, which affect our normal perception of color (Exhibition pamphlet, MOCA, Chicago). The artist hopes that our various states of self-awareness and reflection on larger conditions of creative involvement will spring forth in our own personal and civic lives (Madeleine Grynsztejn, MCA Pritzker Director, MOCA, Chicago). I think that as we begin to realize how we work through each of these pieces it brings about a greater overall awareness to sensations that we may not call upon often and also entices us to engage on new levels of perception.

After exiting the light drenched avenue that seems to vibrate with the extreme sensation of light, the exhibition turns into a space filled with the swaying motion and sound of air breezing by on a single fan hanging down from the ceiling titled Ventilator, 1997. Propelled back and forth across the room from its own momentum the fan engages with the walls of the gallery space and shifts and changes its direction dependent upon the number and location of individuals within the gallery. Swinging above the heads of the viewers the fan seems to have no direction until it meets another surface. In the context of how Eliasson envisions a goal for the work in a larger social arena to cultivate awareness, by putting ourselves in the position of the fan, it helps us to conceive of how we move in the world. As the fans energy is reflected off of and absorbed by the viewers and by the space around it, so to are we - as the fan - affected by the individual(s) and spaces that we come in contact with. It is our self-reflection and awareness of these interactions that allows us to control our movements unlike the fan. Ventilator becomes a very poetic aspect of this idea, not only within the context of the exhibition, but in the way in which Eliasson suggests that we take our time and truly be present to experience this reality.

Victoria Fu
The Afterlife of Memory

Artist Becoming Become-Artist: Memory and the Artist Self-portrait

I recently had the opportunity to curate a solo exhibition of new work by multi-media artist Victoria Fu. After spending quite a bit of time thinking about the work and spending some time with the artist there are some very interesting and poignant aspects of the work which have presented themselves. Firstly, there are ideas about memory that started my path to thinking about how memory is presented through an object of nostalgia, the locket, and how a selection of moving images can function much in the same way that a photograph does. Concomitantly, these objects and images, because they are not our own memories, opens up a dialogue of memory, which prompts us to engage with the idea that memories need not be our own in order to function as a personal memory.

The oval structure of the suspended lockets is mirrored in the inlaid videos, the cropping and careful choices of shapes that reappear in the video and subtly reflect in Fu's drawings are a constant element, which not only create a very cohesive thread throughout the work but also reinforces the sense of nostalgia. This oval shape is quite comforting, like a womb, it embraces the artists imagery that she nurtures with the careful placement of selective imagery. Within these vignettes lies an unsettling sense of memory and displaced nostalgia. Modeled after 19th century mourning lockets, these vessels hold 16mm and Super 8 films which act as daguerreotypes or tintypes. While the figures within these vessels slowly move and suggest a change of time and hint at the familiarity of these relationships and places, an unsettling shift in memory keep us from completing these moving images as a true memory.

An interesting layer to this work is that these moving images and drawings create a form of the artist self-portrait. The artist self-portrait has been recognized for having the capacity to establish accurate recollection of an historical identity and provide guidance for preserving the past. These notions prompt further query as the role of memory presents itself within the discourse of the artist self-portrait. The Deleuzian conception of becoming explores the role of memory as a conduit for the exchange of differences that occur between the artist’s own continuous becoming, and as he or she become-artist simultaneously. Fu’s self-portraits and use of media alongside consideration of time and space help to buttress Gilles Deleuzes’ philosophy. Fu’s construction of fictional histories and false nostalgia presents a theme of displacement that works with Deleuze’s notion of memory, which supports both recollection and the present. In turn, this idea of memory prompts the viewer to think about the artist self-portrait as a unifying creative power that presents something new rather than an identifying imitation of historical identity.

Image credit: SCAD Photography

Tania Bruguera, The Weather Underground in Conversation

Art Chicago Speaks
May 1

Everything Changes a flute/voice and percussion performance by Janice Misurell-Mitchell and Dane Maxim Richeson set the tone for the discussion to follow by giving an echo to the idea of change and prompting us to listen to the conflicting notions that change is possible and in the same breath is impossible. Performing the poem, Everything Changes by Bertolt Brecht, Misurell-Michell (flute/voice) stutters into her flute the audible words like change and breath, overemphasizing repetition and the possibility for change derived from perseverance. On percussion, Richeson keeps to steady vignettes from marches to suggest "no change." This spoken word/musical performance, while a bit funny at times as Misurell-Mitchell's face took on some very tense and teeth bearing moments as she put strength to the word change, made a great segue into a politically charged panel discussion led by educator/activists William Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn.

Tania Bruguera's presence in this panel discussion was short. She introduced the panelists and excused herself from the table in order to participate as a audience member. Before she left the table she presented us with a question that she had only made privy to the panelists ten minutes prior. If you could create a new law what would it be?

William Ayers jumped right in by answering, a law where U.S. citizens living in any country could vote in a Presidential Election. This could certainly bring about a wave of change. He then offered up a well paced account of how the idea of change has been such a sustaining factor in his life. It is something which has caused frustration at times, overwhelming happiness and most importantly, more change. It is this ever present thing that we can recognize as either a positive or negative thing depending on ones own personal convictions. For instance, as Bernardine Dorhn jumped into the conversation and began by asking everyone if they had participated in the May Day march earlier in the day, a young audience member decided that he had heard enough of what I can only image he thought of as petty attempts to make change. Shouting at the panelists, he insisted that these "movements" or public gestures toward change were in fact not making much of an impact because there were still so many union workers still suffering to make end meat in this country. While he mentioned that he thought that the movements and demonstrations of the past were much more emotionally and physically significant, the peaceful march of solidarity proved to not be enough for the young man. This prompted another audience member to fire off frustrations as well at his thoughts of an apparent lack of platforms for "real" change. Dorhn offered the suggestion that having ones glass half empty was probably not a good start. So finally after the ranting and raving the question came to be. What can I do to make any kind of change?

It's the perfect question. It took a bit of unnecessary shouting and pessimistic attitude to reach it. But there it was, staring all of us in the face who have wanted to make change in some way but were either too lazy, preoccupied, or unsure about our own convictions. Dorhn was smart and never did answer the question explicitly because there is not one answer. Change comes from within and is derived from a myriad of personal, socio-political, and experiential factors that align in many different ways for every person and makes up ones own drive for change. Similarly, as she stated, " the American flag means different things to different people," so does the idea behind and motivation for change. Several other audience members brought up their own thoughts and ideas about change from the seemingly smaller things we can do such as keeping the lines of communication open to finding ones own drive for change within their practicing art form.

The original question that Ms. Bruguera presented at the beginning of the panel (If you could create a new law what would it be?) functioned in such a unique way as to end the event with such an important question for artists in these economic times (What can I do to make change?). After all, it was less about making a law, that idea of "no change," and more of a discussion about evolving with change which embraces the fluid nature of change and how artists are a fundamental part in this strengthening momentum.

E

Art Chicago 2009

Apr. 30 - May 1, 2009

While the art fair of the past is changing with our economic times it is certainly moving in a positive direction. While many of the expectant favorites that we saw in years past (Galerie Lelong, Sampson Projects) did not attend this year there are certainly a myriad of exhibitors who have brought their best and have chosen to curate it well within their allotted spaces. Diana Lowenstein Fine Arts at the main fair took care in placing the artists works in a comfortable proximity to one another, allowing the droves of visitors to experience one artist at a time but also recognize Ms. Lowenstein's own aesthetic sensibilities. I found several exhibitors participating in much the same fashion and it works. People end up wanting more if you don't give it to them all at once.

P.P.O.W. had a great collection of contemporary photographs by collaborative artists Walter Martin & Paloma Munoz. Ranging in size from 24x20 in. to 50x40 in. c-prints, these winter snow globe scenes are photographed at various stages of disruption at the precise moments when a miniature tableau is revealed to us. Hidden among the flurries are odd little vignettes like "Traveler 155" which has a petite woman hoisting her male companion vertically above her head. These scenes take on a life of their own and in many cases the familiarity of the nostalgic snow globe tricks our minds into feeling comfortable with the oddly stages tableaux unfolding.

Another pleasant surprise or rather gem was a work by Gregory Coates which hung on the outside portion of the G.R. N'Namdi Gallery. I didn't catch the name of the piece but it looked like his 4x3=1 but vertical. It was so beautiful and even more beautiful because it snuck up on me. These very methodically placed wooden beams thickly wrapped with strips of fabric, tied where they meet. Coates then paints directly onto the fabric with very intense Yves Klein-like radiant blue, canary yellow and white. It was something about the saturation of the color which really allowed all of the overlapping of the fabrics and the repetition of the wrapping really become an intense focus of the work.

The panel discussions and conversations components were very well attended. There were some interesting topics from "One on One: A Creative Conversation between Cynthia Rowley and Nick Cave" to "Tania Bruguera and The Weather Underground in Conversation." Isolde Brelmaier Ph.D. did a wonderful job setting up these panels this year. The only thing I would have to say is that some of them took place in the NEXT Talk Shop and other periphery fair locations that tended to be a bit noisy and the volume and amount of speakers set up was not sufficient. More later.

I do have to say that there was a noticeably smaller crowd this year overall. I suppose it is a sign of the times. Cynthia Rowley even stated in her panel that she don't want to sound negative but thought that the recession has done wonders for the increased level of creativity. I have to agree. More to come.