Rirkirt Tiravaninja

Rirkirt Tiravaninja

Siempre que entro en un nuevo espacio dedicado al arte, siento una emoción especial, y en esta ocasión ha sido realmente peculiar y diferente. Paseo por el NVG de Melbourne, cuando al entrar en una de sus salas advierto una mesa preparada con uno sencilla vajilla para 4 comensales. En un principio pasa inadvertida, pero tras acercarme me doy cuenta que esta precisamente así invitándote e incitándote a sentarte. No me atrevo a sentarme. Doy pequeños paseos sin perder de vista la mesa y espero a ver si algo ocurre. Efectivamente a los pocos minutos los cuatro lugares son ocupados sucesivamente por diferentes personas que no  se conocen entre sí.  Me acerco y puedo comprobar que ante mis ojos soy testigo de un “happening” . Simplemente observo y disfruto….

Rirkirt Tiravaninja – el autor de la obra-  ha convertido parte de la sala en un pequeño restaurante para degustar comida thai, de hecho es solo una mesa, en la que todo aquel que quiera puede sentarse y tener el placer de compartir junto a otros 3 comensales un menú de 4 platos que serán servidos por alguien del personal de la galería. Es sencillamente una experiencia en la que no solo estas contemplando una obra de arte, el comensal es y forma parte importante de la obra. De que se trata entonces? Una mesa puesta y preparada para comer se convierte en un espacio no solo de degustación de comida sino también lugar para compartir y conversar,  de la pasividad a la actividad.

En su obra "Pad Thai"de buena manera están contenidas parte de las palabras del crítico y curador francés Nicolas Bourriaud  acerca de su idea de arte relacional, y en este caso el autor de este Happening nos sirve como claro ejemplo de cómo establecer conexión entre obra-espectador.

No hay duda que en la mayor parte de las instalaciones de Tiravaninja nos habla de  relaciones sociales, interelaciones espaciales en las que uno de sus ingredientes favoritos, - aludiendo a sus instalaciones cuya temática suele partir de elementos culinarios-  son la gente siendo la participación por parte del espectador uno de sus máximos objetivos.  Para Tiravanijka la obra de arte se convierte en un acontecimiento para el visitante que no sólo debe ser algo irrepetible, en el que juega un papel importante la utopía y la simulación,  y cómo no un lenguaje en el que la duda esta y estará siempre presente.

Whenever I go into a new space dedicated to art, I feel a special thrill, and this time has been really quirky and different. Walking through the NVG Melbourne, when I come in at one of its romos, I warn a table ready with one simple crockery for 4 people. At first goes unnoticed, but after approaching there, I realize that this exactly thus inviting and inciting you to sit down. I dare not sit. I short walks without losing sight of the table and wait to see if something happens. Sure enough within minutes the four places are occupied successively by different people who do not know each other. I approach and I can verify that before  my eyes I am a witness of a "happening". Just watch and enjoy ....

Rirkirt Tiravaninja - the author of the work-has used part of the room in a small restaurant for tasting Thai food, in fact there is only a table, where anyone who wants can sit and have the pleasure to share with another 3 diners a menu of four dishes that will be served by a staff of the gallery. It is simplylly an experience that not only are contemplating a work of art, the diner is and important part of the work. What is it about then? A table set and ready for eating becomes a space not only for food tasting but also place to share and discuss, from passivity to activity. 

In his work "Pad Thai" in a good way are contained some of the critic and curator  words Nicolas Bourriaud about his idea of ​​relational art, and in this case the author of this Happening serves as a clear example of how to establish connection between work-spectator.

There is no doubt that in most facilities Tiravaninja speaks of social, spatial interrelationships in which one of his favorite ingredients - referring to its facilities whose themes often from culinary-are elements people being participation by the viewer one of its top goals. To Tiravanijka the artwork becomes an event for visitors not only be something unique, which plays an important role the simulation and uthopia, and how not, a language in which the question is and will always be present .

Shaun Gladwell

Shaun Gladwell

Una carretera solitaria, de vez en cuando una furgoneta pasa sin apreciar nada extraño en la cuneta. Aparece un motorista, parece que va a acelerar pero no es así, baja la velocidad hasta que para ante un canguro que yace en la vía. Se baja de la moto, camina lenta y pausadamente dando vueltas alrededor del animal , lo coge entre sus brazos y lo mece despacito. Así comienza el video instalación de Shaun Gladwell, “Apology to Roadkill” , una impactante obra en la que el artista  nos habla de las relaciones  entre la humanidad y el mundo natural.

Como referente para esta obra,  Gladwell, siendo el propio protagonista de la historia,- se basa en los films de Max Mad. Si en éstos, Max Rockatansky , es el encargado de vigilar una autopista, en Roadkill, Gladwell  desempeña la misma función.  Con una estética similar,  una imagen traída de un futuro post-nuclear en cuanto a vestimenta del motorista se refiere, contrasta con la imagen árida, salvaje e incluso perturbante de la carretera. Como Rockatansky, Gladwell quiere salvar a aquellos seres que han sucumbido a manos de la negligencia humana, actuando como redentor 

Esta primera imagen del motorista parando y acunando al canguro ó wallabie se repite en varias ocasiones, forzando al espectador a concentrarnos en esta relación entre naturaleza y hombre.  Imagen que si en cierta medida intimida la de éste personaje, si su apariencia nos hace sentir miedo e inquietud, es sin embargo dúctil y transmisora de tranquilidad. Un casco negro no nos permite visualizar imagen alguna del vigilante de la carretera, y nos hace la situación todavía mas intrigante y expectante. Es en cambio la naturaleza estática tal vez la que nos hace temer. 

Apology to Roadkill” es parte de una serie de video-instalaciones que realizó Gladwell  al ser elegido para representar a Australia dentro de la Biennal de Venezia (2009). Actualmente se puede ver en el MCA Collection (Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Sidney) en una sala dedicada a trabajos en vídeo de artistas australianos.

Shaun Gladwell

A lonely road, occasionally a van passes without appreciating anything strange in the gutter. Appears a biker, looks set to accelerate but not, slow down until he stops before a kangaroo lying in the road. he is off the bike, walk slowly and deliberately circling the animal, he takes him between his arms and rocks him slowly. Thus begins the video-installation Shaun Gladwell, "Apology to Roadkill", an impressive work in which the artist speaks of the relationship between humanity and the natural world.

As a reference for this work, Gladwell, - being the protagonist of the story itself - is based on the Mad Max films. If on these, Max Rockatansky, is responsible for monitoring a highway in Roadkill, Gladwell has the same function. With a similar aesthetic, one image brought a post-nuclear future about biker clothing is concerned, in contrast to the arid image, wild and even disturbing road. As Rockatansky, Gladwell wants to save those beings who have fallen into the hands of human negligence, acting as a redeemer.

This first image biker stopping and cradling the kangaroo or wallabie repeated several times, forcing the viewer to focus on the relationship between nature and man. Image intimidating to some extent of this character, his appearance makes us feel fear and anxiety, but nevertheless it is ductile and transmitting tranquility. A black helmet does not allow to see no picture of the road’s vigilant, and we made the situation even more intrigant and expectant. It is instead the static nature perhaps makes us fear.

Apology to Roadkill "is part of a series of video installations that made Gladwell to be chosen to represent Australia in the Venice Biennale (2009). Currently you can see from the MCA Collection (Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney) in a room dedicated to video works by Australian artists.

Art Rotterdam 2013

Within the context of the contemporary art fair in Rotterdam, we find the "Art Rotterdam projections", the first fair for video art in the Netherlands. You will find projections in a worldwide, unique, open and interactive setting. Focused on a local artists from Northern European countries, a total of 19 video-art pieces from Dutch, German, Japanese Swedish, English and Swiss artists.

The space at the Las Palmas Building in Cruise Terminal is perfect for showing us several works, the nature of the projections screens and sound being of high quality. You can sit, put the head-phones on and enjoy the music or speech, without bothering the rest of the visitors.

Concerning the exhibition, what we can see? 19 international galleries present a video work of an upcoming or more renowned artist, such as the remarkable work of Meiro Kozumi, Erkka Nissinen, Stefan Constantinescu or Hans Oop the Beck among others. Other known artists on the international scene as Johane Billing, Josephine Meckseper or Keren Cittis are also present in this exhibition.

MEIRO KOIZUMI (Annet Gelink Gallery, Amsterdam) is a Japanese artist who creates works that play with the uncomfortable and indefinable line between cruelty and comedy. "Defect in vision" (12' 2011), talks about the idea of blindness - both philosophical and physical. The work is projected on two sides of an a single screen, preventing the viewer from taking in both sides at once, showing us a domestic scene during world war II. While in one side a woman attends a fictional husband, the rear screen reveals the same scene with the same conversation but this time her husband is present.

The very effective use of lustrous black and white helps to meditate on the myth-saturated mind of the Japanese warrior class in the last days of W.W.II. The conversation turns to the offensive against the american forces. If you pay attention you realize that both are blind. The symbolism is obvious, their blindness allegorizes a deep-seated obviousness to historical reality.

HANS OOP THE BEECK (Belgian, Gallerie Ron Mandos, Amsterdam). With "Parade" (11" 2013) has created a short film, shot on the stage of a large theatre. Once red velvet curtains draws apart, a slow musical waltz commences. A long colourful sequence of people move across the stage from left to right. All of them have a familiar and everyday appearance, but together form a touching and meditative parade on life and death. Oop the Beeck shows to the viewer easily identifiable places, moments and characters that appear to have been aken from contemporary everyday-life. He capture in his images the tragicomic absurdity of our postmodern existence. He calls these situations "proposals", they are fictional, but as a sort of parallel reality.

ERKKA NISSINEN (Finish, Ellen the Bruijne Projects, Amsterdam). "Polis" (27" 2012) is a video where an assortment of absurd characters inhabit a utopian city designed by Le Corbusier and Albert Speer. The city becomes the stage for a series of incoherent comic events and several strange encounters. The cast ranges from a plumber and a talking beaver to porn actors and even politicians. The film discloses a critical take on the difficulties of social interaction, on philosophy, and on the language of media. The result is a video-art full ob absurdity, humor, parody and intentional clumsiness, questioning tags as social interaction, current political trends and social issues.

Gallery Anita Becker from Frankfurt presents STEFAN CONSTANTINESCU. "Dinner family" (14" 2012) is close to be a film, in fact, Constantinescu has made several films over his carrer. In “Dinner Family” a woman is in a supermarket looking for a bottle of wine. Her mobile phone sounds, she has a conversation with someone, she goes home. She decides to take a bath while her husband prepares the dinner. The image is of a perfect family, lovely couple and lovely daughter. When she is taking a bath she exchanges kinky messages with her lover; her family are impatiently waiting for her to have dinner. She continues texting...She becomes another person, so completely different from the strict mother at the dinner table. With "Dinner Family" Constantinescu makes the viewer enter in this world of Scandinavian perfection where everything is tidy -in appearance-, minimal decoration and beautiful people, where everything is in order and civilized. The mobile phone is the only dirt in this perfect world.

The objective of this fair is not to present a panorama of international artists working with video-art, first of all, because it is a fair of galleries, whose clear objective is to sell the works. So Art Rotterdam 2013 talks more about galleries than artists, but it is a good initiative, and reflects a group of artists whose works have been created over the last five years, using video as a way of expression within their own artistic universe.