Images & Imagination of Adventure Emilie Walsh ORCID : 0000-0003-0772-5541 Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Visual Art) April 2020 VCA Art Faculty of Fine Arts and Music The University of Melbourne Abstract “The Images and Imagination of Adventure” investigates the use of the narratives of adventure in contemporary art practices, and presents the research outcomes through an exhibition and a dissertation. The term “narratives of adventure” is used to describe the trope of adventure that is herein argued as being largely inherited from colonial history. The exhibition component of this thesis was exhibited at the VCA Art Space in July 2018. It comprised of eight works: Projected in Gallery One to the left of the entrance was the short film Victoire which emerged early in the project. This first work was influential to the PhD development and it later informed Victoire-Machine, a viewing device installation that further explored potential modalities of adventure. The First of The Last Crusade, Scope, Lost and Found and Traversant were also displayed with viewing devices and along with the installation Art’Venture, all were presented in the Gallery Two in the center of the VCA Art Space. The final work that was produced, Glowry, was developed specifically for the exhibition and installed in the small adjacent space to the right of the entrance in Gallery Three. The practice-led research has identified three strategies that exist in contemporary art practices in relation to the narratives of adventure. Each chapter presents a different strategy, articulates the creative work undertaken in the PhD, contextualises it within contemporary art practices, and analyses it with a range of key texts. The first chapter, ‘Killing Adventure’, presents the first of three strategies: the artist adopting a critical posture towards adventure, and thus claiming that the colonial trope of exploration is no longer valid in the 21st century. This political approach to the narratives of adventure is observed and described in the work of contemporary artists, and enunciated through the work of Okwui Enwesor, particularly his take on the intensification of proximities in a global context. A portion of the creative body of work produced in the context of this PhD can be retrospectively examined through the lens of ‘Killing Adventure’. The work is contextualised in this framework, and then examined in conversation with the creative practice of other visual artists. ii The second chapter, ‘Adventure never died’, argues that some art practices develop a Neo- Romantic relationship with adventure, thus embracing or disregarding its problematic dimension and inadequacy. Within those contemporary practices there is a claim for continuity, and an approach to adventure as primarily an exploration of the self. This chapter contextualises the field of contemporary art by looking at the work of Jorg Heiser and his understanding of today’s art practices as ‘Neo-Romantic’. Once again, the creative component of this research was examined retrospectively in reference to this strategy and some of the creative works which fit in this conversation about the continuity of adventure are presented. The third chapter, ‘Adventure is Dead – Long Live Adventure’, presents the last of the three strategies. It has a much more playful relationship with the narratives of adventure. There is an acknowledgement that the ‘Golden Age of Adventure’ though colonialism is over, but there is a desire to play, recycle and reenact the material of adventure. The world has been mapped, the stories have been told: but now scenarios of adventure are used as a drive for adventure. The artists whom adopt this posture, and the creative work produced during this PhD that borrows some of the characteristics of this strategy, are discussed in conversation with the work of Nicolas Bourriaud, and particularly with his essay ‘Postproduction’. iii Declaration This is to certify that (i) the thesis comprises only my original work towards the Doctor of Philosophy except where indicated in the preface, (ii) due acknowledgement has been made in the text to all other material used, (iii) the thesis is 40,714 words in length, exclusive of tables, maps, bibliographies and appendices Emilie Walsh iv Preface • The PhD candidate was awarded a Melbourne International Fee Remission (MIFRS) and Melbourne International Research (MIRS) scholarship from the University of Melbourne. (student number 683166) • This PhD is undertaken as part of a Cotutelle program with Rennes 2 University, France, under the supervision of Dr. Ivan Toulouse. This a jointly awarded PhD program between French Universities and other University. My primary institution for this program is the University of Melbourne, and a summary of the research in French of 10,000 words will be submitted to the French institution after submission of this dissertation. • One of the creative works for this PhD was initiated prior to the enrolment in the degree. Victoire, a video installation that played a key role in this research project, started as a project before the commencement of the PhD and was part of the research proposal. However, only one aspect of it was completed before starting the degree and the majority of it was completed during the PhD and played a key role in the practice-led research and defining the methodology. This is discussed in the introduction of the dissertation, under the section ‘Prologue : the original research proposal’ • A section of this dissertation (Chapter III.5.3.b Pierre Huyghes, A journey that wasn’t) is an edited version of a paper that this author published as part of a graduate symposium on Pierre Huyghes at the Nasher Centre, Texas, USA. The full text of the article can be found in the appendix of this dissertation. v Acknowledgements All my thanks to my supervisors Dr. Bernhard Sachs, and Ms. Lou Hubbard for your encouragement and commitment throughout this project. I would like to thank Professor Barb Bolt for welcoming me warmly in the PhD program, and Dr. Simone Slee for her support as VCA Art Research Convenor. Special thanks to Dr. Toby Juliff for supervising me in the early years of this PhD: I feel privileged to have experienced such a supportive yet critical supervisory relationship. Thanks to Dr. Ivan Toulouse from the University of Rennes 2 in France, for making the Cotutelle program happen and providing generous supervision. For support through the provision of exhibition opportunities: George Patton Gallery, Abbotsford Convent, Arcade Gallery, Oboro residency in Montreal, Elistir in France, and the VCA Art Space. Thank you to Eric and Theresa from Recreate for an amazing documentation of the PhD exhibition. Thank you to all my friends and colleagues from the University and beyond who helped with the final exhibition: Eric, Tom, Mitchell, Jaye, Tree Paper Sam, Jon, Corinna, Frances, Elena, Oli, Micka, Adam, Handsome Sam. Thank you to Mitchell for his incredible help with the conceptual aspects of the dissertation. Thank you to Alex for his great help with the editing process. Thank you to all my friends and colleagues at the University of Melbourne who support and help throughout the PhD was extremely valuable: in particular Eric, Paul, Frances and Chiara. Thank you to all my friends from Research Platform Services for providing a real sense of community throughout my PhD. For your support and care, my family. A very special mention to Cedric for his love and support starting the PhD, and to Eric for his love and support finishing it. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Prologue: Original Research Proposal ............................................................................................ 1 1.1: Victoire ................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1a: Victoire-Performance ..................................................................................................... 1 1.1b: Victoire Polysemy.......................................................................................................... 4 1.1c: Questioning adventure ................................................................................................... 5 1.2: From Performance To Fiction............................................................................................ 11 1.2a: The stories behind us.................................................................................................... 11 1.2c: The imagination of adventure ...................................................................................... 14 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 15 2.1: The Imagination of Adventure:.......................................................................................... 15 2.1a: Motivation .................................................................................................................... 15 2.1b: What we know about adventure................................................................................... 15 2.1c: The Chronological Boundaries And Conceptual Scope .............................................. 18 2.2: Mapping the Imagination of Adventure in Contemporary Art Practices Today ............... 20 2.2a: Research methods ........................................................................................................ 20 2.2b: