poppy

Jeppe Hein, Appearing Rooms, 2004
(water, wood, pump, iron, computer, nozzle)

20/06/07. Real interactive public art. The man is filming his children (one assumes) having fun, running about getting caught in the fountains. Yet he is also unwittingly filming, and capturing the sculpture/installation as it is at that certain time. He is effectively documenting the artists work.
Most passers by were only glancing over at the fountains as they passed, but when the children started playing in it, people stopped to watch and began to look more closely. I think this is one of the pain points of interactive art, people do actually have to interact with it to make it 'work'.
Compare this to Boscombe high street. On market days there is a big meat van with a northern bloke using a microphone to sell his meats. There is no need for the microphone, he's just doing what all the other sellers are doing, yet he always draws a huge crowd. It is impossible to walk down the road. Because he's high up in his van of meats selling half price bits of animal, people feel the urge to stop and listen.


ANTONY GORMLEYS Blind Light was on at the Hayward. I am very interested in Gormleys work, and would consider myself a 'fan'. But the ticket cost was £8. £8 I didn't actually have. I'm sure I shall see it at some point, but it just really bothered me. It bothered me in the same way paying to use public toilets bothers me. I have read about the work and seen photos, and if I had a student card, would be able to experience it at £3 cheaper than the normal price (wahey).
Things shouldn't be kept hidden. Wow, I've done this amazing thing!! Oh, but only certain people are allowed to be part of it. The same people who probably drag their screaming 5 year olds around galleries to make them more 'cultured'.
It puts things on a higher plain, "oh, its expensive, it must be better, oh, no, I'd never shop in lidl ew, how awful, wow, it costs money, lets do it."

posted by poppy @ 1:15 pm