The BMW Book /1/ /2/ /3/ /4/ /5/ /6/ /7/ /8/ /9/ /10/ /11/ /12/ /13/ /14/ /15/ /16/ /17/ /18/ /19/ /20/ /21/ /22/ /23/ /24/ /25/ Vaclova Mikailionis speaks about the flows of Earth Powers /26/ /27/ The Power of the Earth By Vaclovas Mikailionis Bioenergetic analysts rediscover what people of old times used to know: the Earth pulsates and emanates flows rising from and returning to its depths, the existence of which more sensitive people can feel as if it was a net. Some of these flows (due to various reasons) are exceptionally powerful; people used to regard such places as sacred, blessing, lending power and lucid consciousness, in other words, helping to understand what the Earth tells us through its informative energetic field. This is why temples and shrines were founded there, and later churches were built as well as other centres of spiritual harmony. It is no accident, therefore, that the major temples of Vilnius – the Arch Cathedral and the Gate of Dawn (Aušros) – are situated at the intersections of these flows. Incidentally, they interact through the central axis of Vilnius Old Town (currently, Pilies, Did�iosios and Aušros vartu streets) connecting the Gate of Dawn, the feminine sanctuary of the Mother of God (Goddess), to the masculine Šventaragio Valley (currently, Cathedral Square). Thus, people have been attracted to settle here since long ago, for under the effect of these flows, abilities and wisdom open out in a human being, and they have been glorifying Vilnius since the old times. It is possible to feel the pulsating power of the Earth also here, in the Contemporary Art Centre: some flows rising from the depths stimulate life, and those returning help to understand information hidden in cosmos. /28/ /29/ /30/ /31/ Disappear! J: We don’t know, and don’t want to know. Later it was put up again in New York in J: So how did it start? We were invited to gallery Greene Naftali during the group show participate in this show called The Powder Trailer in 2000 and in gallery Maisonneuve in Room curated by Babak [Afrassiabi ].1 Shortly Paris in 2003. In New York, the people were before that we found the book How To Disappear greedy: the books were gone quickly, within a Completely and Never Be Found in New York, and week. The bench we used was a Nelson bench, it fascinated us, so we bought it. When Babak a very nice designer bench, very fragile. contacted us about the show he was trying to Since the books were taken almost immediately, put together – it was a bout the disappearance people who visited the show used the empty of the author – we decided to use this found bench for the most logic thing to do: to sit object on disappearance. We bought 100 of on, and the bench collapsed. Carol took the them, and on a platform we put a wooden bench crooked bench out of the show, and the only on which we put the 100 copies of the book, ‘proof’ of the work ever being present there, wrapped in envelopes and plastic bags. was a little card on the wall: “Disappearance Piece (1998), Bik van der Pol. 100 copies of L: This referred to those ‘secret’ mail one the book: How To Disappear Completely and can order, when things need to stay hidden, Never Be Found by Doug Richmond, plastic bags, like with porn magazines, or anonymous bench”. threatening letters you can receive, as Friends who visited the show reported back to in films…we liked this tension between the us (we were not there at the time): “marvelous forbidden, the hidden and the threat, but piece, very precise, very much disappeared”. also the excitement of the unknown, and the Very funny. traces that are still there, somehow… it is a self-help instruction book about planning J: I am not sure if we found the book or a disappearance, arranging a new identity, the book found us. When we saw it in this set up a fake suicide... The public took 84 bookshop, we immediately bought it in an books during the show, and in order to take impulse. one, you had to step onto the platform. So we don’t know how many people who took the L: Maybe it has to do with a parallel with our book, actually disappeared. But whatever they art practice: giving up authorship through did, they participated in the work, finished collaborating. Going undercover. Resisting it, so to say, and became, maybe without the demands of the art world that was around knowing, co-authors of the work. It is nice us, the demand for the genius individual, to imagine, what they did with it: is it which we felt, and still feel, does not exist. useful information they found in the book? Many great things develop as the result of a Did it make a difference? Did they read it, collective effort, and exchange, a sort of immediately, or did they give it to someone, ping-ponging ideas, jokes, misunderstandings maybe someone they’d like to see disappear and experiences from one to another. from their life? /32/ /33/ J: Waling (Boers, from Büro Friedrich in temporary, as opposed to eternal? Perhaps Berlin) maybe thought something like this too, too rigid definitions of art are the reason when he asked us to work with the work of Lee to treat this kind of art as unimportant, Lozano. Her text pieces reflect a very radical because it is too temporary. Changing ideas Conceptual art practice. She disappeared with about value and value systems could stimulate the Drop Out Piece, she definitively stepped thinking about other possibilities – even outside the art world. The consequence of if they last a split second and have an this artistic radicality is that her work has immeasurable impact. as good as vanished from the annals of art history and her oeuvre has remained, at least J: A physical disappearance may be for a long time, hidden. While researching disappearance from the existing order. But all this, it was painful to conclude how disappearing is not literally vanishing from little of Lozano’s life, work, and thought the world. had survived. It seemed that when she became It is interesting, very funny and also the subject and object of her own art, and cynical in a way that her work is becoming Conceptual art was increasingly moving towards more visible again since Hauser & Wirth, ‘dematerialisation’ of the art object, there leading actors on the art market, took over was only one logical option that was totally the responsibility of her estate. And ha- in line with her previous practice: to ha, no surprise here: Lozano’s work becomes disappear from the scene. It was unavoidable. ‘wanted’, like the work of artists such as Bas Jan Ader. Lozano did not make so much work, L: These aspects — disappearance, the public though, so I am curious what will happen. Will arena of knowledge and information – the a future buyer own the right to reenact the silence around her work was ‘deafening’. Boycott Women Piece or the Drop Out Piece, Our fascination for Lozano was maybe partly as is already happening with the work of Bas based on mythical aspects. The denial of Jan Ader? And then what will this buyer do: presence appealed to our imagination. This disappear beyond the point of no return? absence needed to be addressed, explored, Life has some humor in it. discussed, and become part of a discourse instead of this silence. We thought, what are L: In the case of Bas Jan Ader, something very the consequences of living out your artistic paradoxical is happening too. He made a very concepts when this might imply complete limited amount of works. Still, the market invisibility or even erasure? Or should is pushing, so there is money to make. The they remain unexecuted: doesn’t imagination estate took on the great idea to ‘re-make’ far exceed reality? What if art manages to the photographic works Please Don’t Leave Me create possibilities for change, and hence and Thoughts Unsaid, Then Forgotten as an really makes a difference, even if we cannot installation.2 As a buyer, one can buy the know what exactly the difference would be? slide of the original photo work and make your This would still be quite an important own DIY installation at home. But in a way, accomplishment, or not? Why shouldn’t art be you don’t make the work by re-making it: you /34/ /35/ Amanda Lear » make it go away. By executing this work, you Follow Me make it disappear. Iʼm getting out J: Black market in optima forma…unlimited Iʼm moving on growth, denying scarcity, re-making, as if…is And from now on radical capitalism. Things concealed seem address unknown to influence the public realm, even by their I should be difficult to find absence. They become desirable, and it is a So follow me small step to bring them to the public realm just follow me. of the marketplace. Iʼll sell you dreams and new desires Iʼm trading hopes Iʼm opened August 2005 I am the night I am your fate So follow me 1 The year was 1998 2 From: “In dreams begin responsibilities”: when Dutch just follow me. artist Bas Jan Ader was lost at sea in 1975, he left Faust was right behind a slim body of mostly photo-based work. Now have no regret posthumous editions of some of these pieces are raising Gimme your soul provocative questions.