Make Things (Happen)

Make Things (Happen) Now Open!

Impressions from the Social In Practice opening, plus news from contributing artists who are Making Things Happen.

Activity sheets freely available in Make Things (Happen) at Social in Practice at the Nathan Cummings Foundation, NYC.

Activity sheets freely available in Make Things (Happen) at Social in Practice at the Nathan Cummings Foundation, NYC.

Thanks to everyone who made it to the Nathan Cummings Foundation for the opening of Social in Practice on Thursday.

The breadth of the artists in the show is impressive. Curated by Deb Willis and Hank Willis Thomas, the exhibition includes diverse, socially-engaged photographers. There’s a lot of work, and it’s beautifully installed in NCF’s spacious offices. I’m going to return—there’s much to take in!

I’m so happy with the positive responses to Make Things (Happen). Many viewers took activity sheets home—can’t wait to see their results at #mkthngs and #mkthngshppn.

Social in Practice is on view at the Nathan Cummings Foundation at 475 Tenth Avenue, between W. 36th & 37th Streets (in the same building that used to house Exit Art), 14th floor. Viewable by appointment Mondays through Fridays now until October; email exhibits@nathancummings.org.

Make Things (Happen) allows me to share the work of compelling artists and their practices. I’ll post occasional digests of their current goings-on, to help contextualize their activity sheets for your participation.

Still from Julie Perini’s video “The White Lady Diaries” (2013) (Source: Hyperallergic.com via JuliePerini.org).

Still from Julie Perini’s video “The White Lady Diaries” (2013)// Source: Hyperallergic.com via JuliePerini.org.

In addition to experimental video work, Portland, OR-based Julie Perini examines whiteness. Safe and Sound?, a documentary on the race and police brutality developed by Perini and others, and her White Lady Diaries short videos were recently featured in “Seeing Past Portland’s Whiteness” by Alicia Eler on Hyperallergic (March 24, 2014).

I have met white people who feel like it would be politically incorrect for them to speak about race whatsoever. But that’s not true—as Julie exemplefies with her activity sheet, Instructions for White People Fighting White Supremacy in the United States #1.

Maurice Carlin, Performance Publishing: Regent Trading Estate. Photo Gwen Jones. Source: MauriceCarlin.com.

Maurice Carlin, Performance Publishing: Regent Trading Estate. // Photo Gwen Jones. Source: MauriceCarlin.com.

It’s the last weekend to see Salford, UK-based Maurice Carlin’s epic site-specific printmaking project, Performance Publishing: Regent Trading Estate. The estate is situated behind Islington Mill, the massive mill-turned-artist-studios/alternative-art-school/music venue/alternative-art-experiment Carlin co-runs. Viewing hours are Sunday and Monday 12-6pm; or see the lovely photos on MauriceCarlin.com.

Fittingly for a founder of an alternative art school, Carlin’s activity sheet, Primary Sources, describes experimental procedures for developing artworks. Give it a try!

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Art & Development, Community, Travelogue

new manc art highlights

Islington Mill Studios; hallway.

Islington Mill Studios; hallway.

The Dilemma of Archive
New library
Islington Mill

Islington Mill is a really cool artist-initiated studio compound with a gallery, performance venue, experimental school, and now, a new library focusing on art books. I find the whole idea of the place very grassroots, appealing and innovative.

detail of installation by Maurice Carlin

detail of installation by Maurice Carlin


detail of installation by Maurice Carlin

detail of installation by Maurice Carlin

Last night, I attended the opening of The Dilemma of Archive, a show featuring the work of Maurice Carlin and G. Leddington. The exhibition space is a disused studio — about the size of a bedroom, maybe 15×12 feet. But the modest space held a really tight grouping of four works, which were peculiar and quiet and rewarded sustained attention.

Slide show/installation by G. Leddington at Islington Mill

Slide show/installation by G. Leddington at Islington Mill

I really liked G. Leddington’s slide show of a turning carosel box, which reminded me of the work of Anne Collier and Tacita Dean. But Leddington’s accompanying works — photo prints of obscure articles, book plates and photos relating to Henri Michaux, art collector/smuggler swung the content away from the project of photography and back towards the archive.

My contribution to the new library.

My contribution to the new library.

The curatorial statement is quite smart, pointing out the paradoxes inherent in any archive — exhibitions, art collections or libraries. I really liked the high conceptual quality and grassroots venue partnered with the new library initiative. I keep telling people that Manchester is a cool city, and if they can look past the binge drinking and American-style malls, they’d see the local points of vibrance like Islington Mills.

Gregor Schneider‘s Kinderzimmer
Subversive Spaces
Whitworth Art Museum

I couldn’t be bothered to see this pitch-black, one-viewer-at-a-time installation — the wait times were always long, but today, by happenstance, I was able to get in after a brief 10-minute wait.

I won’t spoil what’s inside for those who yet to see it, but I will say this:

I found it extremely effective. It was emotional — the darkness was so complete it was terrifying, and upon exiting, my sense of relief gave way to a curious ecstasy. It was provocative and I experienced a sense of convergence between:

  • Dan Graham’s interest in the just-past
  • In Claire Bishop’s Installation Art: A Critical History (Tate 2005) darkness and the dissolution of self…
  • …and how Kinderzimmer manages to include pure phenomenology, mimesis and representation
  • how Schneider exploited the flaws in human hardware
  • how the installation achieved high aspirations in spite of the humble materials
  • grief and existential subjectivity
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