'Urgently' by Aristarkh Chernyshev
I had a mixed opinion from my visit to this exhibition, I thought that some of the pieces had interesting ideas but some were let down by a weak message or losing a lot of its impact by being displayed in a gallery context. I will talk about a few pieces that stood out for me for good and bad reasons and try to explain why they evoked a particular reaction from me.
The first piece I would like to review is the one I liked the most which was ‘Urgently!’ It makes a point that I agree with about the excess of constant news streams always being updated before they can barely be digested. It illustrates the point that news stories become trash almost as quickly as they are made before quickly moving on to the next ‘breaking news’ item. Although I did like the piece I felt it lacked impact and should have gone further to hit home its criticism, failing to realise its potential because of the technical construction of the art and the lack of context it set it self in. There is also a further question that could apply to several of the exhibitions pieces as whether a gallery space is the right place to display the work.
The construction of the piece could have been exaggerated more I feel with the bin being more apparent possibly filled with old news papers as well as the digital strips of RSS feeds. I think there should have been more strips that penetrated the audiences space making the viewer feel like they were almost tripping over all the news that was spewing out and making the overload of information even greater.
Where the message felt like it lacked clarity was whether it was attacking the technology it self that has facilitated the ability for people and organizations to produce ‘an endless flow of information’ or if it was attacking those who were generating the news or even the people for wanting to consume and demand for more information. I think this confusion could be resolved by the placing of the artwork especially if it was done in a similar way to graffiti. If the work was displayed out side Sky News offices all be it temporarily the message would have been stronger and clearer even if it were destroyed or removed only a few hours later. I think art that is trying to make a protest or critique is often about getting exposure in the right context and location a great example would be Banksys art work on The Wall around Qalqiliya that defines the boundary and cuts off the residents of Palestine from the surrounding agricultural land. The act it self of painting on such a politically charged object has huge impact and it draws greater attention to the message, if the wall was instead replicated in a gallery and merely described as a representation the message would lose all its strength, even if the painting it self could be preserved for longer.
Banksy Palestine Wall Graffiti
My criticism of some of the other pieces also would be of the context of their location, ‘Commercial Protest’ and ‘Californian Ideology’ would make a greater impact and stronger message if placed in a commercial environment. These two pieces also follow a theme and critique of consumerism that has been used many times before in art and in a more successful way. I question whether an installation piece with a minimal interaction is any more successful at relaying the argument to its audience as say Romero’s film ‘Dawn of the Dead’ in which zombies became the metaphor for consumers in a capitalist world.
3G International, sculpture by Aristarkh Chernyshev and Alexei Shulgin
Despite my criticism of these pieces I did find them interesting and succseful in making me think about the topic they focused on. The one piece I felt did not succeed was ‘3G International’ which was highlighting the claims that ‘companies are claiming art status for their products’ and so the artist tried to use the aesthetic of the iPhone t turn it back in to a piece of art. I felt however that the piece did not look like it was a piece of art and more like a quirky shopping mall Christmas decoration.
(Electroboutique is currently being exhibited in the Science Museum in London)
Many have complained about the 6th generation iPod nano’s new design claiming that the removal of so many features has made it an inferior design to previous iterations. Gone are the video camera, touch scroll wheel, microphone and video playback with the only addition being a touch screen interface and a clip. So why do I think this is the best iPod yet, well its down to a feature that Apple didn't even design themselves.
The size and touch interface allows the new iPod nano to be clipped on to a watch strap and setting the screen to display a clock when awake allows the iPod to function as a watch. This however is not just a gimmick and may lead to Apple rethinking the future of the nano and the path it takes. The 6h generation nano was supposed to be a more mobile iPod, the addition of the clip and the Nike+ app was to create a good option for those that like to exercise regularly without having to carry larger iPods and iPhones in their pockets that can easily fall out or pull ear phones out. Turning your nano into a watch allows even greater portability and ease of use to quickly navigate songs regardless if you are exercising or not without having to remove the device from your pocket and with the functionality more greatly focused on music there is less to navigate through. Smartphones phones these days can play games, record videos, take pictures,organise your schedule and much more so there is less need for an iPod to do these things instead providing a simple dedicated music player. Apple will likely continue to develop portability and ease of use for the nano as well as targeting the fitness market and not add on features that are unlikely to be used.
A few features that should be added to make the next iPod even better would be good Bluetooth functionality that doesn’t drain the battery so music can be played through wireless earphones and speakers, the watch strap should be included and a basic speaker/vibration to be used as an alarm. Who knows it might only be a matter of time before the iPod Watch comes out and they scrap the nano all together.
I just finished watching a documentry about Joy Division and felt compelled to look back at my architectural dissertation I wrote about the regeneration of Manchester. These may seem like rather unconnected events between the re-designing of a city in the mid 90's and the a post-punk band of the early 80's but they are not and I would like to explain why.
The documentary starts by Tony Wilson the creator of Factory Records and Band manager to many of the greatest British bands, declaring that the re-modernisation of Manchester, the city that started the industrial revolution before going in to deep decline and poverty, was started by a four piece post-punk band with only two albums to their name called Joy Division. On the surface this is a ridiculous statement but in theory has substance.
In 2006 I wrote my dissertation entitled, 'The Regeneration of Post Industrial Cities - Manchester and Birmingham' it focused on the comparison of the two cities both once thriving industrial cities who were left with architectural scars and spiralling unemployment levels in the 70's and 80's. My conclusion was that Manchester had succeeded to regenerate its city at a much quicker rate and a higher level then Birmingham because of two key factors, the IRA bomb in the centre of the city during the Euro 1996 football tournament and the awarding of the commonwealth games which were held in 2002. The bombing that thankfully caused no fatalities, destroyed many of the buildings in the centre of the city that were decaying concrete edifices that were uninspiring and dated. This provided a golden opportunity for the city re-plan the centre of the city, r-think it's difficult navigation and declining central business and retail district. The funding, attention and sponsorship that came with winning the commonwealth games allowed further regeneration and the rate at which it could happen, seeing the city transform in to a modern city in as little as 10 years.
So where does Joy Division fit in to this you might ask, or even where does music fit into the architectural regeneration of a city? well in Manchester, music is more then just music, it is an attitude, an outlook on life and the rich musical heritage of Manchester portrayed an attitude that the country and to some extent the world stood up and took note of and aspired to. Many would argue that the home of indie music is Manchester, the city’s ability to produce defining bands of this genre must be applauded and it all started with Joy Division and Factory records.....(more to come)
