These / The Other

.

Project has confronted gallery audience with two social situations that have been interconnected through their economic implications.

.

An economy of desire is explored in the first situation, titled These: Five Men Tied-up. All of the subjects in this happening have participated voluntarily, at their own risk and with no financial reward. Upon the opening, gallery audience is confronted with an uneasy situation of five men having been reduced to objects. Situation was created at the opening and documented through five video cameras. The hog-tied subjects and the camcorders had been set up in such way as to create a pathway, through which the audience had to pass if they were to see the rest of the exhibition. Creation of an artwork has been postponed until the actual opening of the show, when the situation was completed with the presence of public. The resulting videos are therefore a psycho-social study of a gallery space.

.

The second part closed the economic loop as it poured out the finances for creating the artwork to Philippines, to a student that earns money for both his own living and sustenance of his family through online prostitution. He was present in the gallery space through online chat and was not obliged to do anything but observe. The title The Other refers to his experience being completely inaccessible, even though his camera and his viewpoint closed the installation as in parentheses.

.

Audience was thus caught in a web of psychological projections between those that can afford to act on their free will and in their spare time and the one who is seemingly free, but held captive through an economic situation.

.

Project was carried out at Jindřich Chalupecký Award 2008 on Oct. 21st, 2008.
exhibited: The Brno House of Arts - House of the Lords of Kunštát, Brno, 22. 10. - 23. 11. 2008

.

with thanks to all who participated