Paddy Johnson is right: Gavin Brown's decision to use its entire Art Basel Miami exhibition space to show one installation was risky. When I turned the corner to find the empty space, I was sure that someone had lost his job for not chartering every square inch of floorprint.
Johnson describes the piece, but I figured I'd try out the video on my point and click:
Johnson writes: "Urs Fischer's motorized crane rotates far above the gallery booth, dragging a box of camel cigarettes in a circle across the floor, speaks to how the ravages of addiction will make even the best of us chase a soiled and ragged vice across the floor if it means we will have a small moment of release. I suppose you could say that the gallery's decision to empty out their space for one piece illustrates how addictions can make us take all kinds of risks we wouldn;t normally, but this thought has the feel of confusing ballsy business decisions with the art itself."
That second thought—pardon me while I light up here—seems like the appropriate caveat. There's no problem in saying that a site lends context and significance to a piece, in particular for an installation that develops the space (sweeping out a perimeter, toying with the viewer who stands outside it). But the site itself is unsettling. Nobody wants to think about how the sausage is made, or let that consideration intrude into a reading of the piece.
Posted by Kriston at December 12, 2006 7:20 PMNobody wants to think about how the sausage is made
Au contraire, I'm deeply desirious of this book.
Posted by: Michael at December 12, 2006 10:18 PMBut the site itself is unsettling. Nobody wants to think about how the sausage is made, or let that consideration intrude into a reading of the piece.
Seems that Gavin Brown, not necessarily Urs Fischer, comes out ahead here. Artists should be the ones to unsettle.
Posted by: DaveB at December 13, 2006 12:49 AM
