lunedì 20 luglio 2009

State of Mind: Version 2.0

...worlds exist outside of the World...but is the World still here when you close your eyes?

The above closing lines from the movie "Memento" have become a source of new inspiration for my project, which I now visualize in two phases.

Part I: Exhibition
This exhibition, currently titled "Simultaneity and the Infinite Mind" is in the planning stages and currently includes three Vision Forum artists, whom I will mention at a later date when timing, location, works, etc are more clear. The working concept relates to relative simultaneity. Simultaneity—as a scientific concept—extends from Einstein’s theory of relativity, which explains if two events occur at the same time, but are also separated by space (i.e. occurring in different towns, countries, etc) there can be no absolute certainty if they happened at the same time or which one occurred “first”. The observers involved in the experience are integral to actual account of the situation.


The three artists I’m collaborating with explore simultaneity through different paths; one person in two places at the same time, how other worlds exist in parallel with our universe, and how people in different places can dream the same themes, maybe even at the same time.

Part II: The Observers
I'm interested in the observer’s role not only in the context of an exhibition, but also in reference to simultaneous events because it is their account of the situation which determines the "certainty" of the event. What Einstein clarifies about relative simultaneity is that each account by the observers involved is acceptable. And like this notion, I'm drawing a slight parallel to how art is subjective, open to one's own personal interpretation and understanding, therefore each person's observation about an artwork is right.

During the actual realization of the concept exhibition mentioned above, I want to film the works of the participating artists installed in a chosen space (with and without the audience) from which I will create multiple video narratives and short stories from this one event. Each filmed narrative will have an accompanying collection of stories to go with it. These narratives will then be "exhibited" again at multiple locations/sites (like a coffee shop for example or on YouTube) where one can watch the event and read the companion story.

My mind is exploding with many point of interest that can be investigated in this situation...such as the way an exhibition is experienced without a person actually being in the context of an art space with the works. Another factor relates to the short story concept... How does the text influence one's thinking of the art work and what if the text is a fictional account? If I mix up fictional and real images in the video and do the same when I write the stories, how does the observer know what is reality and what isn't between the two accounts?

Just as the movie "Momento" is the account of a double narrative intertwined with one life, so too will this project explore the many narratives intertwined within one exhibition.