Chto Delat, Perestroika Songspiel, 2008
Before I go getting all worked up, let me just clarify what I'm about to talk about. Artspace is an awesome centre for contemporary art events, exhibitions, they have really cool studios and ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS have impressive and exciting work. For the Biennale of Sydney, Artspace has played host to the fantastic, exciting, amazing Superdelux, with Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights becoming vibrant nights of performance art, DJs, Pechakucha and more. They also play host to a small part of the Biennale exhibition, this is what I would like to write about today.
When I made the trip down the hill to Artspace, I had already been to see the three other Biennale venues (I will write about them after a second visit). I had my hopes right up, I was sure Artspace, of all places would deliver the "wow" factor so far missing from the Biennale of Sydney.
When I made the trip down the hill to Artspace, I had already been to see the three other Biennale venues (I will write about them after a second visit). I had my hopes right up, I was sure Artspace, of all places would deliver the "wow" factor so far missing from the Biennale of Sydney.
It didn't.
I wish It had, because all I wanted to see this Biennale was work that moved me, that made me feel a passion for creating, for changing... for something at least. Artspace, for me, was the biggest let down of all. Three or four video works were all that filled the space. One as pictured, of a choir siniging powerful communist ideals in Russian. One a man wearing a donkey head, screaming on a stage, with a related documentary style series of videos. And finally one, wind blowing through sand, backed my small people moving around a screen. Maybe I missed something? Maybe because I had my hopes so far up, I didn't give the works a chance? Maybe video-art... just isn't ready for the art world?
I wish It had, because all I wanted to see this Biennale was work that moved me, that made me feel a passion for creating, for changing... for something at least. Artspace, for me, was the biggest let down of all. Three or four video works were all that filled the space. One as pictured, of a choir siniging powerful communist ideals in Russian. One a man wearing a donkey head, screaming on a stage, with a related documentary style series of videos. And finally one, wind blowing through sand, backed my small people moving around a screen. Maybe I missed something? Maybe because I had my hopes so far up, I didn't give the works a chance? Maybe video-art... just isn't ready for the art world?
Sydney has given me the sense that its really scraping the bottom of the barrel for artworks in this Biennale. They have spent big-money on a few key works and filled in the gaps with video, after video, after video.. after video and so on. So generally I'm not the biggest fan of anything 2D, I am a sculptor, I make things that are tangible, so then when it comes to video... I'm hard to please.
I don't think video-art has made it to the stage where painting/drawing etc is at. Video-art is such a baby, a tiny little baby in a world where other art forms have existed for millions of years. It hasn't had the time to develop historical richness, or to develop a distinct place in the world, it fits somewhere between tv, movie, videoclip and art.
This is another problem I have, generally, with video-art. We are so used to the technological incredibleness of big-budget movies, 3D movies like Avatar, how can video-art compete. Regular old film works when the story has an exciting plot ('Summer Tale' by Marcina Oliva Soto Cockatoo Island), but you never get the sense of the time, effort and skill that went into the artwork, because you are immediately comparing it to things like Avatar. This makes it near-impossible for video work to give you the same wow factor, in the sense of skill, a sculpture or painting can.
I don't think video-art has made it to the stage where painting/drawing etc is at. Video-art is such a baby, a tiny little baby in a world where other art forms have existed for millions of years. It hasn't had the time to develop historical richness, or to develop a distinct place in the world, it fits somewhere between tv, movie, videoclip and art.
This is another problem I have, generally, with video-art. We are so used to the technological incredibleness of big-budget movies, 3D movies like Avatar, how can video-art compete. Regular old film works when the story has an exciting plot ('Summer Tale' by Marcina Oliva Soto Cockatoo Island), but you never get the sense of the time, effort and skill that went into the artwork, because you are immediately comparing it to things like Avatar. This makes it near-impossible for video work to give you the same wow factor, in the sense of skill, a sculpture or painting can.
Of course then, there are works like AES+F's 9 screen surround "The Feast of Trimalchio" (Cockatoo Island) which are sensational. All the quality and professional skill of a big-budget movie, mind blowing sounds and aesthetics and powerful conceptuality coming out of its ears.
I guess all I'm trying to get out is my immense disappointment in the video-work at Artspace this Biennale. The works there are not bad, as such, they are interesting pieces, but they don't grab hold of you like a successful artwork should.
Thats enough for now.
Samantha Jones
