I really wanted to set a task where my partner had to consider, not just the art in the building but the building as art. The architecture of the museum is shadowed by the more prominent art within it, however subconsciously alters the way we view the pieces. For example, if the works in the view points gallery was to be placed exactly how it is in any other space, we as spectators would/could view it and interpret it in a different context. This is what I wanted to expose with the assignment I set Danny.
The ceiling of the view points gallery is what grasped me the most, how it is formed of inverted banks and peaks that lead to drops and how that we may not consciously notice this, but it still influencing our perception of the room and its relevance. I told Danny to start from the entrance of the room and walk to the other side of the room (in a straight line) while looking up. He was made to consider the design of the ceiling as if it was beneath his feet and react to the topography accordingly. Whilst being aware of his surroundings, Danny completed this task with full cooperation to the commission. He responded to the performance by explaining the surrealistic nature of the journey and we had a short discussion about how such a performance can relates to the museum as an entity. We decided that it wasn’t reflective of ‘your’ journey in the museum, more a reaction within the site. As we view the room, we consider the works on the walls as art but we mentally understand the design on the room and much like the task, we respond to the pieces respectively. Our cultural enhancement is as much to do with the placement of the art and the art itself, as it is to do with the design and features of the room it is placed in.
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