Thanks for the reminder Beryl. I meant to write about this earlier, but it
slipped my mind.
Jean Gagnon has curated 'e-art' at the Museum of Fine Arts in Montreal,
Quebec, which opened on 20 September. The design of the exhibition, and
architecture of the space, is exemplary, and manages to be the best of how
one might imagine curating new media art. The exhibition highlights work by
artists who have been funded by the Fondation Daniel Langlois over the past
decade. There is a wide variety of practice represented, with many forms.
Artists include - David Rokeby, Philip Beesley, Catherine Richards, Jim
Campbell, Lynn Hershmann Leeson, Jessica Field, Luc Courchesne, Raphael
Lozano-Hemmer, Marie Chouinard and Eduardo Kac.
What is surprising about this exhibit is the extent to which the museum
embraced it. Taking up the majority of the site, the works are separated
from each other with galleries designed to best showcase each individual
work, thus there is no competion for visual or aural space.There are grand
expansive galleries that even include tables and chairs for viewing,
Courchesne's 'Horizons' (2007), and intimate spaces, Richards' 'Method and
Apparatus for Finding Love' (2000-). There is only one work by Chouinard,
'Cantique 3' (2004), but the speed and energy of the work fill the space
easily. There are 18 works by Campbell, but they do not overpower the
exhibition, primarily due to the sensitive positioning of the galleries.
I was at the opening, which was very crowded, and still felt like I could
move at a leisurely pace through the museum. The deep blue of the walls tied
the galleries together and the decision to put the artist's names in lights
(LEDs) above the entrances was fun and canny.
I would urge anyone who finds themselves in Montreal between now and Dec. 9,
when the show closes, to take in 'e-art'. I'd also be interested in hearing
anyone else's opinion on the design, and positioning of the work.
Best regards,
Caroline Langill
>From: Beryl Graham <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Beryl Graham <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: [NEW-MEDIA-CURATING] Sep/Oct Theme reprise. Curating new media
>design: interaction and architectures
>Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2007 16:44:02 +0100
>
>Theme of the month September/October 07
>Curating new media design: interaction and architectures
>
>Over the two months of September and October CRUMB explores ideas around
>curating new media design and interactive design in exhibition
>environments. From constructed or built sites to facilitating designed
>experiences the discussion hopes to look at alternative and emerging forms
>of installation design and interactive practices – a response to the
>potentials and conflicts inherent in media spaces and mediated landscapes.
>
>Our focus is on media architectures: installing interactive design and new
>media in gallery spaces, as well as installing design and new media in
>public spaces.
>
>Questions:
>
>Given the overlapping of works in large and sometimes crowded exhibitions
>how are spaces “divided” and/or to a certain degree hybrid? where does a
>particular work ‘begin’ or ‘collaborate’ or interfere with another? What
>are some interesting design strategies? What are the specific challenges of
>curating “interaction design” projects?
>
>If design/furniture is the work itself, in what way does it shape the
>experience of the audience? Is exhibition design essential as an entry
>point for an audience – and how? How is interaction by the viewer INVITED
>by design? Is design a solution, a transmitter, a process, or an object?
>
>References for September/October 2007:
>Urban Screens in Manchester http://www.manchesterurbanscreens.org.uk
>DOTT 07 Designs of the time http://www.dott07.com/;
>Media Architecture Conference 2007 http://www.mediaarchitecture.org/;
>Symposium situated technologies (http://www.situatedtechnologies.net);
>Exhibition Our Cyborg Future at Discovery Museum, Newcastle (10 Aug – 27
>Oct 2007) http://www.dott07.com/go/cyborg/exhibition;
>Exhibition Workspheres at MoMA (8 Feb – 22 Apr 2001)
>http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/2001/workspheres/index.html;
>Exhibition Les Immatériaux at Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris (28 Mar – 15
>Jul 1985);
>Course: Curating Contemporary Design MA (Kingston University London)
>http://www.kingston.ac.uk/pgcurating/
>
>Current Respondents:
>
>Melissa Mongiat, Kelsey Snook and Arlete Castelo. designers from Milk and
>Tales. Kelsey and Melissa have recently written a methodology for creating
>interactive design projects, and Arlete has done a research project on the
>use of interactive technology in exhibitions.
>
>Bruce Wands, Director of the New York Digital Salon, Chair of the MFA
>Computer Art Department School of Visual Arts, New York, NY and the author
>of "Art of the Digital Age."
>
>Celine Condorelli, a London-based architect, whose practice is concerned
>with architecture as support and interface, developing critical models
>towards exhibition making and public space. She is currently developping
>"support structure", is Senior Lecturer at London Metropolitan University
>and architect-curator for Eastside Projects, Birmingham. Recent work
>focuses on art and architecture collaborations and exhibitions. Celine
>Condorelli is PhD candidate at Goldsmith College, London, and one half of
>Support Band.
>
>Kitty Scott, curator, Serpentine Gallery, London
>
>Mirjam Struppek, urbanist, researcher and consultant
>
>Catherine McDermott, head of the Kingston University MA in Curating Design
>and Donna Loveday Head of Exhibitions at the Design Museum
>
>Additional respondents for October include:
>
>Karlheinz Klopf / Sigrid Kurz, artists
>
>Ingrid Smit, manager of studies Institute of Interactive Media,
>Professional University of Amsterdam
>
>Szuper Gallery, artists
>Susanne Clausen, Pawlo Kerestey
>
>David Dernie, author of a book on exhibition design, an architect,
>exhibition designer, and head of the Manchester School of Architecture in
>England.
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