>Whilst it can be argued that such spaces ghettoise media art, at least they
>make the work accessible in a more informal setting. Some (though not all)
>computer-mediated art is made to be viewed in a domestic environment, and
>'lounge' spaces attempt to bridge the gap between institutional space and
>domestic space.
I think that this is a very interesting point. I think that space, time and
comfort must be taken into consideration when presenting media work (I'm
thinking here of single channel video, in particular) and I don't think that
by creating an environment that will encourage/enable audiences to engage
with this type of work does it a disservice or lessens it's importance
within the institution.
If time is an integral aspect of the work (as in much performance), then
viewing the work in its entirety can be crucial. And if an exhibition
contains numerous lengthy works,then walking around a wall projection or
watching a monitor on a pedestal just doesn't cut it.
Over-designing a traditional space doesn't necessarily work either. I was
recently in Los Angeles and went to see Making Time: Considering Time as a
Material in Contemporary Video and Film at the Hammer Museum. It was a
comprehensive show that included around 30 works of varying length, many
with a running time of more then 20 minutes. I was told by friends that the
installation had been widely praised as a way of addressing some of these
issues, however I don't think that certain aspects worked at all.
In the first gallery space (a darkened room), a line of monitors were
suspended from the ceiling and two sets of headphones (per monitor) were
attached to the back wall, along with some type of padded vinyl that you
could sort of lean against, but not actually sit on. The works were quite
diverse in both form and content and although the headphones prevented an
audio babble, I found the competing images very distracting. Although other
aspects of the show were more successful (video and film installations and
small viewing rooms with mid-scale projections), I think that a quiet,
comfortable area for watching the longer, single channel works would have
been favourable.
Cheers,
Michelle Hirschhorn
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