Your Place Or Mine?
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Your Place or Mine? Curatorial approaches to place through the prism of home Felicity Fenner A thesis in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy August 2014 PLEASE TYPE THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES Thesis/Dissertation Sheet Surname or Family name: FENNER First name: FELICITY Other namels: MITCHELL Abbreviation for degree as given in the University calendar: PhD School: ART & DESIGN Faculty: ART & DESIGN Title: Your Place or M1ne? Curatonal approaches to place through the prism of home. A bstract 350 w ords maximum: (PLEASE TYPE) The outward image of the place we ca ll home- Australia - histori ca lly dominates and subsumes personal experiences of home in exhibitions of Australian art. The thesis argues, and demonstrates through a series of curatorial projects, that exhibiti ons can, alternatively, embody inti mate experiences of place that more accurately describe the experience of 2 'I " century Austral ia. Citing recent Austral ian socio-political and literary cu lture as a backdrop, it is shown that the prism of home is an effective curatorial device through which to transmit and receive new insights into aspects of this place we call horne, Australia. The conceit of 'home' is adopted in the thesis both as a curatorial theme and as a framework for engagement. The research reveals how reference to home can guide viewers from simply ' understanding' meaning to 'inhabiting' (being at home within) the intellectua l and sensory space of artworks and exhibitions. When the idea of home is embedded in the cura torial approach, artists' knowledge and experience - particu larly those at odds with mainstrea m perceptions of Austra lian cu lture - can be articu lated. Thus, the exhi bition becomes a ca talyst for new ways of seeing and thinking about place. Contextual ising the author's curatorial projects with others in the region seeking to define a post-global sense of identity, th e thesis reveals how the cura tor can employ the framework of home to facilitate new insights into place. To achieve this, three key curatorial strategies are applied to exhibitions of Australian art: the inclusion of works that are based on real life, intersect with or are real life occurrences; the creation of installations in the gallery space that are physically immersive or inhabitable; and the facilitation and co-production with artists of participatory works in public and non institutional spaces. Through a series of curated projects, the prism of home gives voice to internal (bottom-up) understandings of place, providing an alternative to external (top-down) perceptions typica lly associated with the visua l lexicons of national and cu ltura l identity. Declaration relating to d isposition of p roject thesis/d issertation I hereby grant to the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or 1n part in the University libraries 1n all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copynght Act 1968. I retain all property rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertatiOn. I also authorise University Microfilms to use the 350 word abstract of my thesis in DISSertation Abstracts International (this is applicable to doctoral ""'"'"'SJbL, ~ M~ 31A"'""·"" S 1 g n at~r/ Witness Date The University recognises that there may be exceptional circumstances requiring restrictions on copying or cond1t1ons on use. Requests for restriction for a period of up to 2 years must be made in writing Requests for a longer period of restnction may be cons1dered in exceptional Circumstances and require the approval of the Dean of Graduate Research. FOR OFFICE USE ONLY Date of completion of requ1rements for Award THIS SHEET IS TO BE GLUED TO THE INSIDE FRONT COVER OF THE THESIS ORIGINALITY STATEMENT 'I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and to the best of my knowledge it contains no materials previously published or written by another person , or substantial proportions of material which have been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma at UNSW or any other educational institution, except where due acknowledgement is made in the thesis. Any contribution made to the research by others, with whom I have worked at UNSW or elsewhere, is explicitly acknowledged in the thesis. I also declare that the intellectual content of this thesis is the product of my own work, except to the extent that assistance from others in the project's design and conception or :,:::· presjj;; os~no~ledged.' Dale }L ArJIA./d._.- ;2. OJ(/ COPYRIGHT STATEMENT 'I hereby grant the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all proprietary rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. I also authorise University Microfilms to use the 350 word abstract of my thesis in Dissertation Abstract International (this is applicable to doctoral theses only). I have either used no substantial portions of copyright material in my thesis or I have obtained permission to use copyright material; where permission has not been granted I have applied/will apply for a partial restriction of the digital copy of :::::sis~· ·· ··· · ·· ··· · · · ············ ·· ··········· · · · ···· ······ · Date ... ... l.ro/.r-1 .. ~~ .. ~ .............. ... ........ ...... AUTHENTICITY STATEMENT 'I certify that the Library deposit digital copy is a direct equivalent of the final officially approved version of my thesis. No emendation of content has occurred and if there are any minor variations in formatting, they are the result of the :~:::~sion ~m~ ~ Date ......'.~/>/~ ( >~~ .. .. ........................... Acknowledgements The thesis is dedicated to the memory of Nick Waterlow OAM (1941–2009). Nick was a mentor, colleague and friend, and encouraged my curatorial experiments over the many years that we worked together at Ivan Dougherty Gallery. I will be eternally grateful for Nick’s generosity in sharing his vast experience and unique insights into the wondrous art of exhibition making. My supervisor Professor Jill Bennett encouraged me to undertake this PhD and provided a scholarly context for my curatorial research along the way. In addition to the exhibitions and readings she has brought to my attention in recent years, her own books on empathy, practical aesthetics and re- imagining Sydney, have greatly informed and influenced my thinking about what it means to be a curator of contemporary art in the 21st century. Many other colleagues at UNSW Art & Design have supported this research. Dr David McNeill read sections of the thesis at critical moments and offered candid and often inspirational advice. Thanks to UNSW Galleries colleagues, past and present, for holding the fort during my frequent periods of leave and research travel. Towards the end, John Mahony provided much-needed editorial advice and Ali Groves got my footnotes into order. There would be no curators without artists. All my work is underpinned by the art practice of the many artists with whom I have been privileged to make exhibitions. I am especially grateful to those with whom I have worked closely in recent years, during the course of this research: Vernon Ah Kee, Isabel & Alfredo Aquilizan, Jenny Bell, Brenda Croft, Marnix de Nijs, Laurent Gutierrez & Valerie Portefaix, Claire Healy & Sean Cordiero, Shaun Gladwell, Danie Mellor, Richard Mosse, Yukultji Napangati, Michael Nyman, Bronwyn Oliver, Ahlam Shibli, Guan Wei and Ken & Julia Yonetani. My sister Kate offered a country retreat to write in peace at crucial times. I am indebted above all to Rodney, George and Oscar Pople for supporting my research throughout, for sharing some of my curatorial and exhibition viewing expeditions to various corners of the globe, and for showing me that ‘home’ is a concept based not on place, but on people. Thank you. List of illustrations Cover: Do-ho Suh, A Perfect Home: The Bridge Project, 2010 (video still). Image courtesy the artist. CHAPTER 1 Page 42 Figure 1: “Surprised – Richard and Tania BooKer with their children”. Image: Fairfax Media. Page 43 Figure 2: Asylum seeKers arriving at Christmas Island, August 2013. Image: Fairfax Media. Page 52 Figure 3: Charwei Tsai, Lotus Mantra (2006). 2006 Singapore Biennale, Photo: F. Fenner. Page 52 Figure 4: Jennifer Wen Ma, Alms (2006). 2006 Singapore Biennale. Photo: F. Fenner. Page 53 Figure 5: TaKafumi Hara, Signs of Memory: City Hall Pink Windows (2006). 2006 Singapore Biennale. Photo: F. Fenner. Page 53 Figure 6: Takafumi Hara, Signs of Memory: City Hall Pink Windows, 2006. Singapore Biennale 2006. Photo: F. Fenner. Page 54 Figure 7: Amanda Heng, Worthy Tour Co (S) Pte Ltd (2006). 2006 Singapore Biennale. Photo: F. Fenner. Page 55 Figures 8: Ashok SuKumaran, Everything is Contestable (2006). 2006 Singapore Biennale. Photos: F. Fenner. Page 55 Figures 9: Ashok Sukumaran, Everything is Contestable (2006). 2006 Singapore Biennale. Photos: F. Fenner. Page 55 Figure 10: Gary Carsley, Wonder Wrap (2008). 2008 Singapore Biennale Photo: F. Fenner. Page 55 Figure 11: Wit PimKanchanapong, Singapore (2008). 2008 Singapore Biennale. Photo: F. Fenner. Page 56 Figure 12: Title page Open House, 2011 Singapore Biennale catalogue. Page 60 Figure 13: Farid Rasulov, Carpet Interior (2013). 2013 Venice Biennale Photo: F. Fenner. Page 61 Figure 14: installation view, Welcome to Iraq (2013). 2013. Venice Biennale Photo: F. Fenner. CHAPTER 2 Page 65 Figure 1: The Sydney Morning Herald, wraparound cover, 26 January, 2014.