Apr28Written by:Young
28/04/2008 12:01 p.m.
An update has been long overdue. Since the confiscation of a personal laptop, I have been unable to retrieve my back-up notes and references to the various satellite art fairs that occurred in Miami last year. However, some immediate highlights have not eluded my memory. Here are two of my favourite showings:
Presented in shipping containers lining Miami Beach, a branch of Art Basel's programme called "Art Positions" included the conceptual orchestral piece by collaborative London-based artists Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard. Entering the narrow containment unit, I encountered a velvety darkness, as my hands felt for the walls and led my eyes further into the space. At the end of corridor, a vintage audio system revealed itself glowing with luminescent dials and synchronised frequency meters. An entrancing melody lullled from hidden speakers, playing an original score arranged for the artists by composer Jason Pierce. The music originated as a performance in 2006 that featured an embedded secret message. From a soundpoof cabinet, Forsyth and Pollard repeated a hypnotic phrase into a microphone. Their "Silend Sound Machine" then interpreted and submitted this hidden signal into the live audience. The resulting subliminal message is not detectable by the human ear, but bestows the musical work with an intangible presence. The gesture is remarkable in the way it heightened my senses in the re-staged Miami version and submerged me into a rich, mystical, aural experience.
If you are ever interested in hearing the performance, stop by City Art Rooms. I bought the recording, which runs for about 20 minutes.
US artist Eric Doeringerembraced the frenzy and commercial nature of the art fairs over in his modest stand at Geisai - the art fair for non-represented artists organised by Japanese giant, Takashi Murakami. Set-up like a Manhattan street corner selling knock-off luxury goods, Eric's booth featured the hottest brand names: Damien Hirst, Wolfgang Tillmans, Lisa Yuskavage, Chris Ofili, Matthew Barney, Kehinde Wiley...He's a one-man do-it-all, creating small-scale 'bootleg' versions of the most famous and infamous contemporary artworks. His approach is brilliant (and sardonic) in how quickly a potpourri of styles can be torn apart and reappropriated. He understands that the structure of all artistic vocabularies can be summarised and distilled, especially images/works that have been mass-consumed and elevated to iconic status. The attitude is iconoclastic while tongue-in-cheek. None of the bootlegs are direct reproductions, but rather Doeringer uses the framework of each artist to make his own similar versions. The artist makes normally unattainable artworks affordable; the bootlegs sell in unlimited editions for $100-200. For collectors seeking a giddy rush, why not ditch those impossible waiting lists and get a $150 Koons instead? For Eric's full portfolio, visit his web site: http://www.ericdoeringer.com/bootlegs/bootthumb.html
The bootlegs also serve as a barometer for who's IN. Eric Doeringer also follows the major art events of the world, setting up shop in front of fairs and biennales, adding an interesting performative element to the whole spectacle.
More gems in the future.
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