- Venue
- AirSpace Gallery
- Location
- West Midlands
Manifesto-
a public declaration of intent, policy, aims, etc, as issued by a political party, government, or movement 1.
PIGDOGANDMONKEYFESTOS examines the artist’s adoption and use of the manifesto. Manifestos climb the white walls, overlapping each other, pushing each other out of the way. The show feels bolshy, riotous and somewhat unclear. The works, without hierarchy, are hung and pasted in every single gap, reminiscent of fly posting.
As well as being a celebration of freedom of speech, argument and difference, it seems to take itself with a pinch of salt, aware that many, if not all of the manifestos will never be realised or adopted by the majority. As Colin Lowes work Gluttony demonstrates –
“You’re being fed lies literally and you know any they know you know it, but what you gonna do?”
It appears Mally Mallinson and Shaun Doyle, the curators of the show, are exalting in the rants, raves and general moans, without dismissing them.
It was refreshing, particularly as an artist and frequent ‘art-goer’ to find myself at a show so un-polished, as well as for the work to be treated with such equality. It was very unclear from the hand scrawled, photocopied lay out plan which work belonged to which artist.
It felt enlivening to be surrounded by work so loaded with angst, personality and opinion, I felt as if I was in a room full of teenagers, each with a lot to say.
Three audio works, by Mark Pearson, Frank Wasser and Leslie Deere, in turn bellowed disruptive noises throughout the space, either coughs, screams or thrashes of noise, similarly to the overlapping of 2D works, abolishing any chance of hearing the other video works as well as making you completely lose concentration whilst reading text works.
I wonder about the aggressiveness of the audio, does it need to be this disruptive in order to gain recognition or attention? Is it that for a more diverse audience it demonstrates some of what perhaps the text works do in case they are not read fully? Either way the repeated aggravation begins to take away from my initial enlivened and rejuvenated feeling the longer I spend in the space. This aggressive tone also led me to begin thinking about how solely politically led the manifestos were, and I wondered if perhaps there could have been a further exploration of the artistic manifesto.
Artistic Manifesto –
An art manifesto is a public declaration of the intentions, motives, or views of an artist or artistic movement.2.
Including manifestos that outline aims and motives of making an artwork itself, developing a particular style or dictates an aesthetic. Or a manifesto that outlines a performance. For example; Marina Abramovic’ ‘An artist’s life Manifesto’ .3.
Alexis Milne and Tex Royale’s video work tucked away at the rear of the gallery is the only work provided with its own viewing space, it is also the only work that seems to act out and embody a manifesto. A work depicting a fictional virtual reality The Cult of Rammelzee, this work seemingly adds more depth and scope of exploration of the manifesto than the previous works, examining the act of what was previously being outlined via text or image. Introducing the exploration and critique of action, cult behaviour and roles of power to the definition of manifesto.
What has broadened the examination even further has been the incorporation of public workshops from The Cultural Sisters. Throughout the exhibition The Cultural Sisters have been working with a diverse range of the public, from young children to the WI to women going through menopause, in order to introduce the idea of a manifesto and to encourage public engagement with AirSpace gallery. Furthering this ‘no selection’ curatorial attitude as seen in the gallery, the manifestos produced in the workshops will also be exhibited in The Resource Room at AirSpace from 2-7th June.
The Cultural Sisters is a creative, visual and participatory arts organisation based in Stoke on Trent. www.theculturalsisters.org.uk
Shaun Doyle and Mally Madinson have exhibited internationally at major institutions, most recently Whitechapel Gallery London Open 2012 and Tate Britain, Rude Brittania 2010. www.doyleandmallinson.com
1.http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/manifesto
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_manifesto
3.http://www.hirshhorn.si.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/An-Artists-Life-Manifesto.pdf
