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“Species of Spacers” in Venetian Blind project

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posted on 2019-05-05, 00:00 authored by Patrick Pound, Sandra Gibbs
“Species of Spacers” in Venetian Blind project

History

Language

eng

Notes

Venetian Blind is an art project featuring 23 Australian and New Zealand artists. Developed by Public Art Commission at Deakin University, this hybrid exhibition/public art event will see six projects commissioned (one per month) over the duration of the European Cultural Centre’s Personal Structures exhibition in conjunction with the 58th Venice Biennale. In addition to collaborative work, we each individually produced artist book of drawings and I also produced. 50-page printed photo essay

Research statement

Background My practice-led research investigates the body-environment relationship. This involves notion of measure, both the effects through which our world is organized and the affects through which our world is experienced and valued. The brief devised for our group involved a historical marker or spacer set in stone between two buildings by a powerful family to regulate the width of the streets and control development and movement in the 9th century. This object prompted performative intervention, engagement with passerby and the transference and application of that measure (precisely the length of Jondi’s arm-span (182cm) in the gallery. Contribution This work consists of in-situ performances complied on video as well as an exploration of the use of measure as a tool of standardization, regulation and the bending and breaking of rules as communal spaces develop over centuries. Our gentle interventions and observations of the embodied affects of this particular measure demonstrated the use of practice-led techniques to engage with deep time, European history and the pragmatics of urban development through collaboration and participatory methods. Significance The work was part of the Europe and Cultural Centre collateral exhibition at the 58th Venice Biennale and was included in the official catalogue. The success of the project and particularly the deep engagement with the city of Venice was deeply appreciated by the local Venetians and the gallery staff who want to develop future projects. This exhibition has strong connection to my recent co-authored book, Creative Measures of the Anthropocene (Palgrave 2019).

Publication classification

JO1 Original Creative Works – Visual Art Work

Scale

NTRO Minor

Extent

collaborative installation, wall drawings, 20minute video, individually produced artist books

Publisher

European Cultural Centre, Plazzo Bembo, Venice

Place of publication

Venice, Italy

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