reworked and added
“Art … turns out to be particularly suitable when it comes to expressing this hands-on civilization, because it tightens the space of relations, unlike TV and literature which refer each individual person to his or her space of private consumption, and also unlike theatre and cinema which bring small groups together before specific, unmistakable images. Actually, there is no live comment made about what is seen…" (Bourriaud, 2002, p.15)
Since this theory, Relational Aesthetics is based on selected works by contemporary artists, it is a bit like defining what is not a performance and there is no object. The author chose the works of artists which call for an interactive activity. For example, In Soma's work, the artist combines a multi-level installation named after an ancient drink to expand consciousness. The viewer can book a "bed" in the museum and spend the night there. Even though this installation is full of objects and a participatory performance takes place, Bourriaud defines this work as creating a close relationship between the artist and the viewer, where the viewer can directly comment and discuss. In my opinion, this statement is a bit of a stretch, because the artist is not present throughout the entire exhibition, and the viewer's experience remains his own and individual, (maximum shared with his friends at the exhibition).
Carsten Höller, Soma (2010) Rentiere im Bahnhof, Züge fahren hier nicht mehr. © Attilio Maranzano [online] At: https://www.fr.de/kultur/kunst/rentiere-schauen-dich-11447384.html (Accessed 02.01.2023)
For me, it's like taking my newspapers and making a colour field out of them.
I take an ordinary object out of everyday life and change its purpose.
At the same time, the history of this object is now supplemented with a new meaning of the new work. There is a rethinking of the ordinary through the new.
I suspect that this is about the same as relational aesthetics.
Bourriaud proposes to remove the relations, and behaviours of people from ordinary circumstances and place them in a new environment that the artist creates.
And now let's compare his practice with this work.
Carsten Höller Test Site 2006 Photo: Tate © Carsten Höller [online] At: https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/unilever-series/unilever-series-carsten-holler-test-site (Accessed 02.01.2023)
“Installed in the Turbine Hall of Tate Modern in 2006, Test Site comprised five spiralling tubular slides that ran from the upper floors of the gallery to ground level (fig.1). Sliding down, especially from the higher levels, was an experience that was both physically and psychically intense. Using people’s experience as what he calls his ‘raw material’, Höller has been making art since the late 1980s centred around, and dependent upon, visitor participation.” Art of Interaction: A Theoretical Examination of Carsten Höller’s Test Site MARK WINDSOR for TATE [online] At: https://www.tate.org.uk/research/tate-papers/15/art-of-interaction-a-theoretical-examination-of-carsten-holler-test-site (Accessed 02.01.2023)
In the book “Ways of Looking: How to Experience Contemporary Art” by Ossian Ward describes his feelings starting from fear and almost hatred for the artist, because he forces him to an unpleasant activity (Ward is afraid of heights), to wild delight (Ward, 2014 p.28). Here on the face, the beginning of an individual struggle with fears, the decision-making process - to slide down or not, the healing process - the transformation of fear into pleasure, and so on. Using Alfred Gell's “Art and Agency” (1998) artist cause ‘events to happen’. In this way, the artist used thoughtful design to determine the result of the work, and thus the experience of the viewer.
“applying Gell’s theories has been instrumental in showing the different ways that the recipients of the work are involved as agents in its formation: not passively like an audience but actively as co-creators. By doing so, Test Site can be understood as a kind of game taking place between Höller and its visitors; it is a structured interplay between two sides. The aesthetic and political aspects of Test Site are not something separate from its interactive ‘space-time elements’ but precisely located therein. Bourriaud provides the way to understand how the interpersonal relations of Test Site are aesthetic in nature, existing together as a total ‘world’ of form.” Art of Interaction: A Theoretical Examination of Carsten Höller’s Test Site MARK WINDSOR for TATE [online] At: https://www.tate.org.uk/research/tate-papers/15/art-of-interaction-a-theoretical-examination-of-carsten-holler-test-site (Accessed 02.01.2023)
Here I have to agree only in the part that the work "Test Side" is really the aesthetics of the fear of free fall, brought here into a new art object mode.
On the other hand, what kind of relationship between the artist and the viewer happened here? Or is there a relationship between people, and discussion? No. Here one man falls down the pipe. And we see how Ossian Ward describes his feelings. These are his individual experiences that are not related to other social relations. No social relations or discussions take place here, but individual experience and its transformation are obvious here. This is exactly what an artist should strive for.
I will try to explain why the individual experience is much more important than the social experience.
Catharsis was the fundamental principle of the birth of the theatre. The essential idea was to create such an art piece in which the viewer would take on the role of a main character, experience his story, and after the completion of the performance, rethink his own behaviour. In other words, the artist creates an atmosphere in which a person can reconsider his beliefs, or gain new experience, take this experience as personal and thereby become better.
Catharsis - the process of releasing strong emotions through a particular activity or experience, such as writing or theatre, in a way that helps you to understand those emotions Cambridge Dictionary [online] At: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/catharsis (Accessed 25.03.2023)
Here there is a rebirth of the individual through a private rethinking of the situation. Therefore, two different people cannot "understand" one thing. Yes, the topic may be general, but the perception and lessons learned will be different for everyone.
When we talk about group experiences, like here in Rirkrit Tiravanija, invited viewers to eat Thai food in the gallery.
Rirkrit Tiravanija - Untitled (Free) exhibition recreated at MoMA in 2012. Photo via MoMA [online] At: https://www.widewalls.ch/magazine/relational-aesthetics-nicolas-bourriaud-social-circumstance(Accessed 25.03.2023)
Here there is a transfer of the relationship of food consumption from the restaurant/home/cafe, i.e. from an ordinary place to an unusual one – gallery. There is a rethinking of the action, yes, this is important for the theory of art. But to what extent is there communication with the individual?
This method of mass involvement of viewers and generalization of their experience leads to defocusing. Since the main idea becomes playful or humorous, as in the case of "Soma" or as in the performance of Rirkrit Tiravanija - a large number of people begin to think differently. They begin to be led. The individual becomes a mass. And then it happens, as in the work of Werner Heldt - a person ceases to bear individual responsibility, he, as it were, resets to zero.
Werner Heldt, 1933-1935, Charcoal on Guarro laid paper SCHIRN KUNSTHALLE FRANKFURT, Frankfurt am Main [Drawing] (Exhibition visit on 18.05.2022)
Bourriaud (quote at the beginning of my article) indicates that television, literature and theatre communicate with a person individually. It's like a personal experience or a discussion in a small group. And art can create a platform for a group experience. Then I have a question here. What then happened in Russia in 2022? The whole society for many years "continuously watched" TV. It turns out that there should have been an individual experience without social discussion, but it turned out to be a performance with Thai soup. Everyone was fed the same thing, the idea was launched to the masses, socially, as it were, discussed and agreed upon. In such a crowd there is no individual with critical thinking who would ask - How can people be killed on our behalf? Because there was already a discussion in the crowd, and everyone took part, so everyone, as it were, is already on the same side.
It turned out that something dangerous happens with any mass communication, it seems to me, is very important to understand and not repeat again - this is the absence of individual critical thinking.
For the government, the mass became an excellent platform for pumping their ideologies. In other words, it's like in Richard Serra's "Television Delivers People" (1973), the heads of many were brought in to upload new information.
The brain of one fool said “- this is red” and the crowd no longer controlled itself. Here the president acted as an artist who, as it were, invited everyone to go and attack another country. And the crowd gathered and went. The maintenance and development of any kind of individuality is the only thing that opposes this.
It is necessary to develop and practice individual critical thinking through each person individually.
Therefore, my Parallel Project involves the direct participation of people.
Starting with ourselves, we will recycle newspapers. Through simple questions, as Socrates led the interlocutor to think, so we will ask each other questions: Why are we doing this? How can I alone, an individual, help the environment? How do we use paper? How do we perceive news? How can we trust what we read, see? What is critical thinking? etc.
Working in a public place, we will organize newspapers on a metal grid. After consulting with the builder, I have a plan - how to install and attach the resulting paper fragments to the wall.
After the elements are firmly attached to the wall, I will finalize the gaps between these parts and get one solid field. In addition, I will cover the resulting base with an environmentally friendly solution that I recently found and successfully tested. Outdoor work should last at least six months (after my outdoor test), and with a new firming solution, I expect one year. Which is sufficient for temporary outdoor work.
What will I get? Will it be the Relational Aesthetics that Nicolas Bourriaud spoke about - No. Because even with all the appearances of a possibly large number of people, it will be an individual work to create art. Not eating soup, not sliding down, not nights at the museum - this will be a meaningful creation of art.
There is great potential in giving something meaningful to seemingly insignificant. Insignificant I call working with materials for recycling, to create something that will be a metaphor and a symbol of what is not in reality. Critical thinking cannot be deduced in the form of an object, the ecology of mind too, but a monument can be erected to them, and those who erect it with their own hands will be able to say yes, I experienced it - it is.
The final project of the colour field on the wall looks like this:
The colour is chosen in such a way that it does not contradict the environment and emphasizes the energy of this place. On the one hand, there is a large amount of greenery - trees, bushes, grass, next to this place is located kind of a small park.
Therefore, when a person is in the park, he will see a green wall, which will be natural and symbolic.
On the other side, this wall leads to a place where people meet, parties and festive events take place. Therefore, in order for the place to appeal and involve, it will be a warm and inviting colour - yellow and red.
Movement, 2023, recycled newspapers, acrylic, water-based fixatives, plaster on plywood and wood, 73 x 132 x 11 cm.
Conceptually, people without access to the courtyard will see the colour change as they move from one point of the street to another.
Parallel to this wall is a pedestrian road from which this wall is well viewed. This change in colour calls for the physical movement of the person in order to understand/see different points of view.
Physical involvement supports mental understanding and perception. Therefore, in addition to the implementation of the project itself, the finished work will provoke individual conclusions, and link ecology and mind.
p.s. since weather conditions do not yet allow work to begin, it may not be possible to implement the outdoor project, but its start is scheduled approximately at the beginning of May. Agreements have been reached with the support of builders to assist in the implementation. The final project of colour and materials is agreed upon with the customer.
Bibliography and references
1. Nicolas Bourriaud, Relational Aesthetics (2002) Les press du reel (for the English translation)
2. Art and agency. An anthropological theory Alfred Gell. Clarendon Press · Oxford 1998
3. Looking: How to Experience Contemporary Art by Ossian Ward 2014 Transition 2017 Ad Marginem Press in Russian. Museum Garage
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