Response By Alan R. Neal to Antagonism and Relational Aesthetics By Claire Bishop

“Audience Requirements: Interelational Art and Audience Participation”

Response By Alan R. Neal

to Antagonism and Relational Aesthetics

By Claire Bishop

Describing the Palais de Tokyo, Ms. Bishop explains that the renovation of the old Worlds Fair Exhibit space designed as the Japanese Pavilion has been reassigned as an “Idealogical Exhibition Space”, something that is becoming a trend in Europe, where they are trying to get away from the traditional “White Cube” exhibitions, revisiting the idea that the art should dictate how space should be used, not the architecture. Since architecture can vary greatly from location to location, this seems to reinforce the ideas set forth by the 1920 International Dada Fair and the 1938 International Surrealist Exhibition. This idea, although not a new one, obviously, has caught on with gallery owners and curators alike, who seem to be trying to set a new standard for hanging art. This approach seems to want to highlight the rebellious nature of contemporary art. Allowing for more interaction with the viewers, more honest dialogue between the viewers as they view the works, and creating a form of art that is more social experiment than a gallery full of paintings, sculptures, or installations. Artist such as Liam Gillick, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Phillippe Parreno, Pierre Huyghe, Carsten Höller, Christine Hill, Vanessa Beecroft, Maurizio Cattelan, and Jorge Pardo, are all seeking to explore ways of displaying new ideas and different ways of thinking about art in the context of social behavior and social interaction. Te space seems to be a integral part of the art installed, and it is designed to present the art in the manner in which the art was created/ Some artists record the reactions of the viewers. Others spend time observing or interacting with the viewers as if they were just another viewer. In such cases, the viewer becomes an integral part of the art. Without them, the art would just be “a bunch of stuff in a room.” Some explore the space between sculpture and functional design. Others are just happy for viewers to “just stand with their backs to the work and talk to each other.” This way of displaying art allows the artist to design for social, rather than aesthetics, and opens a way of interaction that effects both the artist and the viewers. Still others ask “Who is the public? How is a culture made, and who is it for?” Many of these ideas and questions are meant to be open ended, so that the discussion can continue indefinitely, even after the show is over. Bourriaud argues that “encounters are more important than the individuals who compose them,” I sense that this question is (for him) unnecessary; all relations that permit “dialogue” are automatically assumed to be democratic and therefore good. Some of these artists actually compare what people will do for money, as opposed to what people will do for no money, and how that effects the viewers. Of course, something like this has to be documented, which makes one ask “does the documentor experience the art in the same way as the participants? Or as the artist does?” The answer is probably not, since we are all different due to our different experiences. Individuality becomes a factor in art such as this, as well as environment and relationships. In fact, everything becomes a factor, such as the weather on the days the work was being constructed, and the politics at the time, and anything else that may or may not be quantified. When art becomes a part of everyday living, or becomes a reason for exchanging and interacting amongst the viewers, the possibilities are endless as to the results. It brings into play the random, childlike innocence that Dadaism belies, as well as the positive outlook on the future that Futurism belies. It can also be argued that it brings a surreal element to the work, in as much as some interactions may go horribly wrong, since it is, after all, involving the public. And we all know how surreal the public can get sometimes!