pop up
show
"ADOPT A SPACE"
The Pop Up Show was a challenge launched by the course teachers. For this exhibition it was proposed to create an exhibition in drawn random groups, around the campus. Choose a place where we could do our intervention, adopt the space and install a quick exhibition.
Once everything was installed, we had a walking/crit introducing the other groups to our ‘intervention’.
This was the initial plan, but after the walking crit the tutors challenged us to each group take other group exhibition and very quickly, intervene on their project, we were free to change the meaning, place or even the form…
“Convergence”was the title elected for our Pop Up group exhibition.
We proposed an artwork consisting of a painted line (painted with chalk) across the floor at Wimbledon School of Art near the canteen.
The length of the line was about a foot (+- 30cm). We were a little limited, to paint the Floor outside the campus, because we could not make anything permanent, that is way we chose white chalk, since it is a soft, white, porous, sedimentary carbonate rock, that can easily vanish with time and rain.
The piece was titled “Convergence“ to relate with our concept which was this line situated precisely along the Meridian line running from East to West. The question arises “where does East begin and West end?”. The line brings together literally these two disparate places in the world which come together directly, right there at that meeting point. This means that embedded within the work itself is the concept of Collaboration. Due to the socio-demographic of Wimbledon School of Art where the ratio of Chinese students to Westerners is at least 30%-70% or 50%-50% this makes the work completely site-specific.
The painted line represents the Brushstroke, an integral part of both Western and Chinese Art.
The second part of this project, when my group took action in the other group exhibition, it was very interesting and hard to work on such short time. We had to think quickly, and in group which just made it harder, but even more challenging. The other group piece was giant balloons coming outside our studio window saying “I CAN SEE YOU” which was a very visible and flashy signal. So we took this phrase and without touching the words we put them exactly in the same order but under the bike racks near the canteen (which normally, no one uses and it is very hidden). Changing the total meaning of the other group concept. And we did it has a game. When it was our time to show how we change/intervened with the other group work, we sent a text message with a photo of a bike to our class group WhatsApp, with a clue of where they could find the piece, saying “can you see me?”, making a pun with the phrase written on the piece. Like playing hide and seek, with clues. This was very well received by our colleagues.
Group 4:
Alison Smart
Bozhi Yang
Kate
Liliana Oderstone
Parichat
