Friction II - the Aftermath was the original title of this blog, but as time goes by the focus of my interest changes. For the moment I am writing about a related event. The common factor is SU-EN as curator.
Writings in the Context of the Festival in June 2008 at Uppsala Art Museum has come to an end and it is possible to make an overview of the blog entries. This however will be a future enterprice.
Monday, 15 December 2008
Saturday, 29 November 2008
On Dancing Edge 2008
Yellow Angel, Painting by KWN
A dancing reality in the play of light and shadow.
In the gap between the visible and the invisible I find myself, when I struggle to see Dance in the piece by Nancy Zendora. The work is named Cartouche, and is choreographed to the music by composer Morton Feldman. I struggle in vain until I realize that I have to observe the play of light, which like reflections of a water is projected as a backdrop. In a flash, the dancers movements starts to resonate with the rapid movements of highlights on the backdrop, and the dance becomes magic. The slow, minimalistic moves made by the dancer seem to trig the pulse of light in an optic illusion produced by my willing act of interpretation.
It makes sense, as if I have entered the space of Zendora. In the following pieces I focus on how light and shadow produce spatiality and form in the performance. In the Voice of Light the dance takes place in a circle of light projected by a spotlight, and a small lantern in the form of a pyramid works as a counter point. Shining small pyramid / person big enlightened. It's like a Sufi mystery, and the dancer swings around, as if she confirms the hypothesis.
In the third and last piece New Flight I can only recall the mask, left on the stage and still shining from some kind of light. If it is from the inside, or only the reflections of a spotlight I can't figure out. It ought not to be, but the poetic truth is, that the light comes from within.
What kind of dance is this. It is invisible to me when I try to look straight at it, but still it is poetic and strong. It is unrecognisable, it is not real, but surreal.
Nancy I love You!
sincerely Yours
Dr Kurt
A dancing reality in the play of light and shadow.In the gap between the visible and the invisible I find myself, when I struggle to see Dance in the piece by Nancy Zendora. The work is named Cartouche, and is choreographed to the music by composer Morton Feldman. I struggle in vain until I realize that I have to observe the play of light, which like reflections of a water is projected as a backdrop. In a flash, the dancers movements starts to resonate with the rapid movements of highlights on the backdrop, and the dance becomes magic. The slow, minimalistic moves made by the dancer seem to trig the pulse of light in an optic illusion produced by my willing act of interpretation.
It makes sense, as if I have entered the space of Zendora. In the following pieces I focus on how light and shadow produce spatiality and form in the performance. In the Voice of Light the dance takes place in a circle of light projected by a spotlight, and a small lantern in the form of a pyramid works as a counter point. Shining small pyramid / person big enlightened. It's like a Sufi mystery, and the dancer swings around, as if she confirms the hypothesis.
In the third and last piece New Flight I can only recall the mask, left on the stage and still shining from some kind of light. If it is from the inside, or only the reflections of a spotlight I can't figure out. It ought not to be, but the poetic truth is, that the light comes from within.
What kind of dance is this. It is invisible to me when I try to look straight at it, but still it is poetic and strong. It is unrecognisable, it is not real, but surreal.
Nancy I love You!
sincerely Yours
Dr Kurt
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
Aesthetics and Language in Knowledge Management Projects
A perspective on language, developed from a critical conceptual history point of view, might contribute to the efficiency in global, long term projects for knowledge management, and system development. New environments creates expressions, and sensibilities who paves the ground for the every day language of the future. The meaning of words and phrases evolves from situations of practical use. Aesthetics has various methods to coop with elusive phenomena, who will be important in future language use, or who creates historical differences in the understanding of expressions, and linguistic phrases.
The language of the future is born in contemporary life worlds. Aesthetics contributes here with a perspective, which brings us to the border of awareness. It is the place where we say to ourselves: ”This exists”, ”this is beautiful”, or ”this is unpleasant” Aesthetics in this sense is concerned with the possible and the utopian, not as contraries, but as traces left by processes where experiences emerges and are named in a multivalent praxis. In order to use language efficiently, as a tool for knowledge management, system development has to take into account several dimensions from the traditional domains of aesthetics.
Conceptual History: Most of the words we use in our daily life has been used several different ways throughout history. These more or less well known secondary meanings of words provides speech with a timbre of unveiled senses, which at the same time open up for variety in the use of a word. In effect we can adapt a word to a new situation. At the same time the multi-valence created this way brings up difficulties.
Hermeneutics: In practice we use our preconceptions to form an intuitive understanding of the meaning in an utterance. This might result in misunderstandings, but there are methods to help resolve misconceptions and create understanding when interpretations is necessary.
Praxis perspective: Essential for the understanding of language is the awareness of how contemporary speech is formed in tradition, real life situations, and living discussions characteristic of a culture. Knowledge, when it comes to the core, is practical and born in action, to use an expression from the contemporary debate about transmission of practical skills, and knowledge.
Conceptual modelling: This multilateral perspective on language makes the task of modelling a concept different, at the same time harder and more promising. Her me might find possibilities to create dynamic hybrids, and tools for adapting global verbal understanding to vernacular specifications when demanded.
Ontology development: A contemporary trend is the mapping of knowledge domains. When such endeavours are founded on well established language use they are called ontologies. The most promising way to create ontologies is to start from an analysis of established practice in large organisations. The International Councils of Museums ICOM in an independent project has created the CIDOC/CRM, a Conceptual Reference Model, or ontology, specially designed for cultural heritage and established as ISO-standard in 2006. The CIDOC/CRM is focus for a global project of harmonization , when it comes to terminological collaborations in the ALM-sector. Thus, an important forum for discussions around method, language and knowledge management in the cultural heritage sector is created, which might result in universal applications.
Aesthetic competence can focus several important dimensions of language. I have worked with methods and problems in this field in environments of pedagogics, research, and development. I have designed projects and worked in collaboration with system developers, artisans, artists, humanists and museum personal among others. All this has convinced me that I have something important to contribute in development project who takes language ans knowledge management seriously.
The language of the future is born in contemporary life worlds. Aesthetics contributes here with a perspective, which brings us to the border of awareness. It is the place where we say to ourselves: ”This exists”, ”this is beautiful”, or ”this is unpleasant” Aesthetics in this sense is concerned with the possible and the utopian, not as contraries, but as traces left by processes where experiences emerges and are named in a multivalent praxis. In order to use language efficiently, as a tool for knowledge management, system development has to take into account several dimensions from the traditional domains of aesthetics.
Conceptual History: Most of the words we use in our daily life has been used several different ways throughout history. These more or less well known secondary meanings of words provides speech with a timbre of unveiled senses, which at the same time open up for variety in the use of a word. In effect we can adapt a word to a new situation. At the same time the multi-valence created this way brings up difficulties.
Hermeneutics: In practice we use our preconceptions to form an intuitive understanding of the meaning in an utterance. This might result in misunderstandings, but there are methods to help resolve misconceptions and create understanding when interpretations is necessary.
Praxis perspective: Essential for the understanding of language is the awareness of how contemporary speech is formed in tradition, real life situations, and living discussions characteristic of a culture. Knowledge, when it comes to the core, is practical and born in action, to use an expression from the contemporary debate about transmission of practical skills, and knowledge.
Conceptual modelling: This multilateral perspective on language makes the task of modelling a concept different, at the same time harder and more promising. Her me might find possibilities to create dynamic hybrids, and tools for adapting global verbal understanding to vernacular specifications when demanded.
Ontology development: A contemporary trend is the mapping of knowledge domains. When such endeavours are founded on well established language use they are called ontologies. The most promising way to create ontologies is to start from an analysis of established practice in large organisations. The International Councils of Museums ICOM in an independent project has created the CIDOC/CRM, a Conceptual Reference Model, or ontology, specially designed for cultural heritage and established as ISO-standard in 2006. The CIDOC/CRM is focus for a global project of harmonization , when it comes to terminological collaborations in the ALM-sector. Thus, an important forum for discussions around method, language and knowledge management in the cultural heritage sector is created, which might result in universal applications.
Aesthetic competence can focus several important dimensions of language. I have worked with methods and problems in this field in environments of pedagogics, research, and development. I have designed projects and worked in collaboration with system developers, artisans, artists, humanists and museum personal among others. All this has convinced me that I have something important to contribute in development project who takes language ans knowledge management seriously.
My CV
In the recent years my focus of interest has been on knowledge management in museums and cultural heritage. Involved in the Swedish national project for Knowledge Management in Museum Systems (KMM) I have worked with the design of projects in collaboration with the Swedish Handicraft Consultants, as well as Uppsala University with Museum Gustavianum, and the Department of Information Science.
I have a special interest in terminological issues, and the possibilities opened by the core ontology for cultural heritage, which was established as an ISO-standard in 2006. This standard comprises a model for the relation between key concepts of the cultural hreitage sector. The model has been developed from established museum practice and evolves through a process of harmonization in collaboration between special groups from the international communities of the ALM-sector (Archives, Libraries, and Museums).
I have been involved in discussions on the roles of handicraft skills, institutional practice, and system development in the work for establishing authorities, standards, ontologies, or other terminological resources.
Conceptual history and the role of critical concepts for aesthetic experience was at the core of my thesis research. I used the controversy in Art Theory over the possibilities of an inverted perspective in Ancient, Eastern, and Medieval Art as material. My aesthetic approach to this ancient theme has provided insights in philosophical as well as historical issues of perception and language.
I am currently involved in matters concerning Butoh dance, painting and contemporary art forms. This provides sources for my understanding of terminological and notational questions concerning presentation, documentation and evaluation in contemporary Art debate.
My most recent project is the development of tools for exploring Pilgrimage, Churches and Landscape as future spiritual, recreational, and commercial large scale projects.
I have a special interest in terminological issues, and the possibilities opened by the core ontology for cultural heritage, which was established as an ISO-standard in 2006. This standard comprises a model for the relation between key concepts of the cultural hreitage sector. The model has been developed from established museum practice and evolves through a process of harmonization in collaboration between special groups from the international communities of the ALM-sector (Archives, Libraries, and Museums).
I have been involved in discussions on the roles of handicraft skills, institutional practice, and system development in the work for establishing authorities, standards, ontologies, or other terminological resources.
Conceptual history and the role of critical concepts for aesthetic experience was at the core of my thesis research. I used the controversy in Art Theory over the possibilities of an inverted perspective in Ancient, Eastern, and Medieval Art as material. My aesthetic approach to this ancient theme has provided insights in philosophical as well as historical issues of perception and language.
I am currently involved in matters concerning Butoh dance, painting and contemporary art forms. This provides sources for my understanding of terminological and notational questions concerning presentation, documentation and evaluation in contemporary Art debate.
My most recent project is the development of tools for exploring Pilgrimage, Churches and Landscape as future spiritual, recreational, and commercial large scale projects.
Monday, 11 August 2008
The Tool Box - What can Theatre Learn from Performance Art, Danjel Andersson
lecture at the Municipal Theatre
Danjel Anderson gave an exposition of the developement of the Performance Art tradition centred around its implications for theatre. It opened for an approach to the field that would be unavailable from a Visual Art perspective. Four fundamental concept were involved convention, quality, blood, and audience. Performance art needs convention to transgress, or brake it, thus creating a possibility for the audience to experience itself and the act in a new perspective. In this setting the concept of quality is reversed as the teather performance is judged relative to established convention and convention is what should be challenged in the first place. Both convention and quality judgments maintains the aesthetic distance that performance art tends to break down. Blood is a useful mean for that end. It has an immediate impact on people which goes beyond reason. Like in a shock reaction perception is changed by the mere sight of blood. The audience gets involved in the scene in a way that seems characteristic of performance art. The audience is regarded as a witness rather than a distanced spectator.
We ended up at Nybron after the lecture by Danjel Andersson on the fundamental elements of performance art. There had been a lot of talk involving blood and we were pretty upset by some film sequenses from I Apologize, an intriguing work with dolls by Gisèle Vienne and Dennis Cooper. Timing in the work was distorted as blood was poured on the floor before the head ended up in the pool, and the shot was fired even later. Christina Eriksson Fredriksson was enthusiatic over the way time and narrative was handled. It made her see events in her own life in a new way. It reminded me of the spacetime of icons, and the reversed perpective. It had a strong impact on me as well. WE felt lik transported to a surrealist dimension were anything was possible.
Danjel Anderson gave an exposition of the developement of the Performance Art tradition centred around its implications for theatre. It opened for an approach to the field that would be unavailable from a Visual Art perspective. Four fundamental concept were involved convention, quality, blood, and audience. Performance art needs convention to transgress, or brake it, thus creating a possibility for the audience to experience itself and the act in a new perspective. In this setting the concept of quality is reversed as the teather performance is judged relative to established convention and convention is what should be challenged in the first place. Both convention and quality judgments maintains the aesthetic distance that performance art tends to break down. Blood is a useful mean for that end. It has an immediate impact on people which goes beyond reason. Like in a shock reaction perception is changed by the mere sight of blood. The audience gets involved in the scene in a way that seems characteristic of performance art. The audience is regarded as a witness rather than a distanced spectator.
We ended up at Nybron after the lecture by Danjel Andersson on the fundamental elements of performance art. There had been a lot of talk involving blood and we were pretty upset by some film sequenses from I Apologize, an intriguing work with dolls by Gisèle Vienne and Dennis Cooper. Timing in the work was distorted as blood was poured on the floor before the head ended up in the pool, and the shot was fired even later. Christina Eriksson Fredriksson was enthusiatic over the way time and narrative was handled. It made her see events in her own life in a new way. It reminded me of the spacetime of icons, and the reversed perpective. It had a strong impact on me as well. WE felt lik transported to a surrealist dimension were anything was possible.
Friday, 8 August 2008
Spiral, by Roi Vaara
Colour code: B4, G4, Y1, R1
Roi Vaaras work Spiral is a core performance artwork. It is highly creative and conceptually charged, but has only slight elements of emotional involvement and mental disturbance. The artist writes on the pavement of the Court Yard of Upsala Castle a series of concepts characterising destructive tendencies in contemporary culture. The writing took the form of a spiral, which seemed to cause the artist to lay down his pencil and wheel around until he fell to the ground. After a while he recovered and started scoring out the words of the spiral replacing them from the end towards the beginning with new ones. Thus an old concept crossed out became paired with a new, akin but slightly more favourable counterpart forming a set of surrealistic twins. White House became a pair with Black Hole for example.
Of course the strong political implications of the chosen words might be mentally disturbing to some, but for me the only disturbing thing was the loss of political meaning in the aesthetic context of the Art Museum. This however was of minor importance to the experience of the work. Its associative richness opened new alleys for the thought, and its creativeness made it impossible to predict the next move of the artist. In the end the impression was one of a strong logical unity and impact.
The likeness of Vaara's Spiral to the traditional rune stone inscriptions was not intentional, but created a new dimension in the work determined by the place. In other circumstances the modern graffitti writing might have a similar function. Not every aspect of an artwork need to be predictable or intentional.
Roi Vaaras work Spiral is a core performance artwork. It is highly creative and conceptually charged, but has only slight elements of emotional involvement and mental disturbance. The artist writes on the pavement of the Court Yard of Upsala Castle a series of concepts characterising destructive tendencies in contemporary culture. The writing took the form of a spiral, which seemed to cause the artist to lay down his pencil and wheel around until he fell to the ground. After a while he recovered and started scoring out the words of the spiral replacing them from the end towards the beginning with new ones. Thus an old concept crossed out became paired with a new, akin but slightly more favourable counterpart forming a set of surrealistic twins. White House became a pair with Black Hole for example.
Of course the strong political implications of the chosen words might be mentally disturbing to some, but for me the only disturbing thing was the loss of political meaning in the aesthetic context of the Art Museum. This however was of minor importance to the experience of the work. Its associative richness opened new alleys for the thought, and its creativeness made it impossible to predict the next move of the artist. In the end the impression was one of a strong logical unity and impact.
The likeness of Vaara's Spiral to the traditional rune stone inscriptions was not intentional, but created a new dimension in the work determined by the place. In other circumstances the modern graffitti writing might have a similar function. Not every aspect of an artwork need to be predictable or intentional.
Thursday, 7 August 2008
Performance Takes Place
A challenge to the idea of a fixed meaning of the concept of art lies at the heart of the performance art movement. An element of provocative transgression therefore is vital to performance art. This make performance akin to the Kantian concept of free beauty, to surrealist views on art, to critical theory, and to the concept of symbolic form. All these themes are important elements in 20th century philosophy of art.
We don't understand words by definitions, we understand them as they are used in a specific context. The same can be stated about the understanding of art. In a the case of a performance artwork the stakeholders understand the meaning of the work from their different perspectives. The artist, the critic, the audience, the hosting institution, the sponsors, all have different views on the same work. Occasionally there are conflicting interests involved.
An art form that is self conscious, and reflective needs to take into account and interact with a host of dimensions as it takes place. That is why we may high light the way a performance is Taking Place, by using metaphors of war. The inauguration ceremony with seniors and their rollators climbing the hill of the Upsala Castle accompanied by Giuseppi Verdi's La Forza del Destino/The Power of Destiny, then, may be set in pair with the rock album by Brian Eno named Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategy after the model play of Chinese opera during the cultural revolution.
Now, the work by SU-EN is eccentric in relation to the established definition of Performance Art, but it is still a work in the performing arts, and it performs the actual inauguration of the festival. Three different uses of the concept of performance are presented in the work and thereby the theme of the festival is well caught in this single work. The span of performance art interlacing with contradictory definitions creates a complex serpentine gestalt akin to the rune-stone ornaments characteristic of the Swedish Viking culture.
We don't understand words by definitions, we understand them as they are used in a specific context. The same can be stated about the understanding of art. In a the case of a performance artwork the stakeholders understand the meaning of the work from their different perspectives. The artist, the critic, the audience, the hosting institution, the sponsors, all have different views on the same work. Occasionally there are conflicting interests involved.
An art form that is self conscious, and reflective needs to take into account and interact with a host of dimensions as it takes place. That is why we may high light the way a performance is Taking Place, by using metaphors of war. The inauguration ceremony with seniors and their rollators climbing the hill of the Upsala Castle accompanied by Giuseppi Verdi's La Forza del Destino/The Power of Destiny, then, may be set in pair with the rock album by Brian Eno named Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategy after the model play of Chinese opera during the cultural revolution.
Now, the work by SU-EN is eccentric in relation to the established definition of Performance Art, but it is still a work in the performing arts, and it performs the actual inauguration of the festival. Three different uses of the concept of performance are presented in the work and thereby the theme of the festival is well caught in this single work. The span of performance art interlacing with contradictory definitions creates a complex serpentine gestalt akin to the rune-stone ornaments characteristic of the Swedish Viking culture.
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