'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)