I haven’t updated for a while, mainly because installing the exhibition took up nearly all the waking hours that I had. But I have been making notes and half finishing some posts – So now that the exhibition is open, I hope to fill in some details about the installation of the work retrospectively in the next few days.
Here is the first, one that almost got posted a week ago…
2 weeks pass, in a blink. The first one was, in theory, a short burst of R&R but then that is the great thing about theory. The second introduced Vincent, the sculptor and 250 8×4 sheets of Stirling board into what is becoming my second home, Fabrica. I am greatly relieved that the chemistry of the production group was easily a match for the five massive pallets of wood, right from the start. It is a good sign when you can recognise everyone in the room by their laugh, (as these posts have a 500 word limit I wont mention everyone by name).
Fabrica really is a unique organization, one that manages to do more than hold its own amongst contemporary art venues, but unlike many, has managed to retain an almost family like feel. Ok I realize that working like a family isn’t perhaps the most efficient way of running an organization, but it is the most human, and it reflects the artist led ethos of the organization far better than any business model I can think of.
The reason that I say this, is that in most galleries the installation of such an exhibition would be ‘executed’ by a specialist group of installers, who more likely than not, would turn the place into a macho machine fest ‘site’ while the ‘staff’ were kept out of the way.
Our team was the antithesis of that, consisting predominantly of women, wide age groups and levels of experience, skills were invented and shared and the whole process was collaboratively managed as an evolving response to the various challenges that occurred.
The work was heavy and complex, but by the end of the installation we each came away feeling that we were deeply involved in Vincent’s work, having learned a great deal in completely unexpected ways.
Taking such an approach to installing an exhibition is a huge risk, but one that provides insights for those involved that most ‘workshops’ or ‘gallery educators’ can only dream of.
Fabrica has got it about right, in making its installations a form of artist's resource, even if it does shave a few years off the life expectancy of the project managers and directors.
But then everything is sweetened by risk.
