ABSTRACT

In this paper I will examine the relationship between an artwork and place through my personal experience' process in the 'art space'. Within that frame, I will question how to identify the process of placing the artworks in a way so that they become space works and how space and the artwork respond to each other.  Is it possible to call a space an exhibition space without having placed an artwork in it? Is it possible to redefine a completed artwork when it is in its exhibition space? Exhibition spaces as a result of their natural aspects need artwork(s) to become art spaces. Conversely, the perception of an artwork takes form according to its particular art space. In that context when space and artworks collide a new visual language may emerge and both of them may complete each other. Can artworks have been produced in a non-exhibition space alter when they start to exist in the space in which they are supposed to be exhibited? Where does the integrity of the artworks that I have been producing starts and/or ends within such queries? As a conclusion, I will try to find out a way how do place and the artwork 'work' together and how my works/artworks can change their meaning through the way of process-exhibiting.

Keywords: artist as curator, collaboration, display as a practice, exhibition making, memories of a place, place, process, production of space

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this paper is to discuss the relationship between place and artwork through my experiments and the process of production in the space that the artworks will exist in. Firstly, - I will start by examining the relation of an artwork and the space in the terms of the "artist as curator" concept the first example within such a context is Duchamp's studio which was a place that is used as an exhibition space. Then I will focus on the concept “artist as curator” in contemporary art world.

'Artist as curator' is a term which is based on curating from an artists' perspective. As Liu Ding indicated in symposium called "Artist as Curator", "My artistic curation include both my artwork and the shows I've curated." First, I got this idea from my last and the first personal exhibition that I found myself as an exhibition organizer. In this sense, I started to look how I see things around me and started to catch the point of relation between my works and the space. I started to think about relation between each artworks to the relationship with the space that artworks already exist in. After this exhibition, the question that comes to my mind was 'why artists need a curator?' Are there any differences between artist curating the exhibition or curator organize the exhibition? According to Becky Shaw, there are multifunctional role of the curator who decide the artworks and also the artists that participated in exhibition and where the works should exist and create a dialog between artists and the institution for developing new projects. Artists acting as curators make sense for artists to provide a part of the process in an experimental way. Becky Shaws said that "Artists' function as curators in an attempt to gain visibility for practices they respect, including their own. It is an attempt to own the process of distribution rather than be subject to it." When artists organize exhibition as curators, it is possible to experience the process and 'the process' can become a part of the exhibition and the space used as a tool or a medium. Using a space as a medium and the narrative before the works arrived in exhibition space can change through the way of display. Space can change the meaning of an artwork.

locational identites, production of space, exhibition making, display as a practice, process, memories of an artist as curator

Keywords: undefined places/spaces, exhibition space, site-related, site-determined, site-referenced, site- responsive, memory of places/spaces/artworks, site-specific

Keywords: space artist, curator space, artist as curator, curator as artist, curator as space creator/ architect, Marcel Duchamp

Undefined places

Unfinished artworks

Is it possible to call a space, an exhibition space without an artwork in it? Is it possible to redefine a completed artwork when it is in its exhibition space. Exhibition space as a result of its natural aspects need artwork(s) to become art space. Perception of the artwork takes form according to art space. In that context when space and the artworks collide a new visual language may emerge and both of them may complete each other.

Can artworks that produced in a non-exhibition space alter when they start to exist in the space they are supposed to be exhibited? How do space and the artwork responses to each other? Within that frame work, where does the integrity of the artworks that I have been producing start and/or end.

The artist acting like a curator, even if she get involved in curatorial mode of practice, is essentially an 'artist'. According to Elena Filipovic, the relation between artist and curatorial practice commenced at Duchamp' s studio in New York. A friend of him, who was a writer, Henri Pierre Roche, took Marcel Duchamp' s studio photographs between 1916-1918. These photographs indicate that Duchamp' s studio (also his home) was a type of exhibition space. When we looking at images of Marcel Duchamp' s studio we can see that how the objects suspended from the ceiling and hanged on a wall carefully. The 'everyday objects' lost their usefulness and became a part of the space. Elena Flipovic stated that, Helen Molesworth calls objects 'readymades' which the objects lost their meanings and interpreted as an artifact that indicate something else. Flipovic added that Duchamp' s studio was the first 'readymade' exhibition space that partially but not entirely open space for the people. It was an exhibition space which was different from other institutions in a way of exhibiting in that time. Duchamp continued his position to against the exhibitions in museums or galleries although he had been in some exhibitions in these kind of spaces. (Flipovic, 2009) What was the motivation of Marcel Duchamp' s to act without awareness as a curator? 

 

Keywords: undefined places/spaces, exhibition space, site-related, site- specific, memory of place/space

artist's studio, transformation of the space, museum, gallery, institutional critique, production, artist creativity, artist as curator, replacement

 I think, the initial relationship between an artwork and its place commence at the artist's studio. For this reason, I will start by examining the relationship between art and artist's studio. Then, I will focus on how artists transform other spaces after the work leaves the studio, if it does.   

The Artist's Studio

Initial production of the art work commence at the artist's studio. According to Daniel Buren, he defines the studio as unique space of production. Artists can substructure their artworks inside the studio and decide how to do it. But what happens when produced artworks go outside from its 'real place'? Can artwork lost its meaning or on the contrary, it becomes more meaningful with its new place?

Studio is an exclusive place that the artists can produce there and the works only can judged by the owners (artists). The studio also gives opportunities for visitors, collectors or curators to see the works before they exhibited. Thus the studio is a place of production, shelter for artworks and the connection between art commerce and artists. In this case, the artworks produce in site-determined place but should move to another place in order to exist. Although studio is the unique space of the artworks, galleries or museums are still the space of exposition. According to Buren, he emphasizes significance of the studio and on the other hand he argues about financial difficulties of the artists if the works stay at studio perpetually. Constantin Brancusi was the only artist that he protected his works inside his studio and believes that the work should be its place where it made. Although his death, his works preserve inside his studio according to his bequest. (Buren, 1979)

figure1: Brancusi's Studio, Paris

 How Artists Transform the Spaces?

Anselm Kiefer is the artist who moves abandoned silk factory at Barjac (France) and transformed into a living space and studio. Tim Marlow, who is the director of Royal Art Academy, defines his space as a work place which becomes later a work of art and then becomes a site, a canvas or a space of a gallery.

                                                   

     figure2-3: Anselm Kiefer's Studio in Barjac

site/ space / place

According to Oxford dictionary 'site' means "an area of ground on which a town, building or monument is constructed." 

Keywords: undefined places/spaces, exhibition space, site-related, site-determined, site-referenced, site- responsive, memory of places/spaces/artworks, site-specific

Undefined places

Unfinished artworks

Is it possible to call a space, an exhibition space without an artwork in it? Is it possible to redefine a completed artwork when it is in its exhibition space. Exhibition space as a result of its natural aspects need artwork(s) to become art space. Perception of the artwork takes form according to art space. In that context when space and the artworks collide a new visual language may emerge and both of them may complete each other.

Can artworks that produced in a non-exhibition space alter when they start to exist in the space they are supposed to be exhibited? How do space and the artwork responses to each other? Within that frame work, where does the integrity of the artworks that I have been producing start and/or end.

First, I searched about 'storytelling'. Then I realized that the words have a lot of meanings that I thought before. Saying words or writing down the words have visual existence. If you search about 'something' you can reach the 'word' and also you can see other relationships between the other words.

In previous post, I explained that storytelling is a way of my explanation. After all of my searches, I realized that I just put the word in my statement and handle it very easy way. I continued my search with the word of 'memory'. Then I realized that our brain works differently when we want to remember something in the past. I am asking myself does our brain remember memories? Is it possible to forget memories? What I realized, all words that I choose all related with each other.

Narrative

At this point of search, I found a new word 'semiotics'. I will search about Ferdinand de Saussure, Charles Sanders, Roland Barthes and Mihail Bahtin to understand the word . I think I will handle word 'semiotic' with Roland Barthes whom I know more information than others. I will continue my searches to write deeply.

Storytelling is a way of my expression. I prefer to use found objects, photographs, documents and classical types of drawing and painting  to reform as equal parts of a same work. All combined to serve in a mutual story. I formed from my interactions. In regards to my education in painting, I combine painting with these different materials to express myself.
Found materials, especially found photographs are my main materials. I create dialogues and stories through them that relate to my past. I work with everyday stories and situations, relocating and rediscovering them within new coordinates. Sometimes the materials give me their stories. I focus on the words that my materials imprint on me. I then relate with words and engage in a dialogue with my materials, where I can project my memories and all the connotations they bring and observe without prior context or knowledge of their owners.
One of the exhibition that I participated in which was happened in a hotel. I transformed the room. I create a story about a man who was lived there before. In my imagination, he is a writer and he wants to get rid of his past. He wants to face of his life with his letters, some objecs and photographs. He writes a story on his typewriter. What I wanted from people to do is when the visitors come and see the story on the typewriter they can continue the story which hasn't finished yet. At the end of the exhibition people came and felt free themselves and continued the story.

I will write down my keywords again which are related to my works and this time, I will try to categorize my words.

structure of works -  storytelling, narratology- narrative, memory

from, about -  childhood, subconsciousness, recollection, remembrance, personality

works can be -  poetical, political

using -  found objects, documents, texts, different mediums, materials

places -  atmosphere, site- specific

work with people -   interactivity

Now, I will choose two words to continue my soft search. I choose storytelling and narrative and one auxiliary word : memory