PROJECT TRAILER

ARGUMENTATION 

 

The project is an interlacement of distinctly visual situations, sound, music, performance, and of site-specific spatial installation being in dialogue with the historical venue of the Corderie.

1.1 ARCHITECTURE AS A REFLECTION OF THOUGHTS

On the occasion of the new placement of the Slovenian pavilion in the dense succession of curated projects and national presentations in the contemporary Arsenal − the former arms and munition warehouses (Corderie) of the Serenissima, the architectural reference point of the project is based on the recognisable brick shell of the building. Compared to the Giardini where individual countries competed with one another in the construction of national pavilions as architectural flag bearers of their power and influence, the Arsenal is acquitted of direct cognisability. The act of redefining the area that once served the exposure of Serenissima’s military power into a space entirely intended for art essentially supports the presented project. The homogenous space installation − an architectural drawing combining the concept of a house, a sacral, a public, and a production space in one single white form − will be placed as a referential contrast to the brick-built historical building shell of the Arsenals.

1.2 TO CREATE IS TO RESIST

In 1992, the Israeli artist Absalon (Eshel Meir) planned a monumental installation and performance in the form of six structures, called Cellules. He stated: “I would like to make these Cells my homes, where I define my sen- sations, cultivate my behaviours.” The Cellules were supposed to be realised as six individual structures in six world cities: Paris, Zurich, New York, Tel Aviv, Frankfurt, and Tokyo, but during his life time only two were con- structed. He died in 1993, before he was able to finish his monumental project as a permanent performance.

“The Cell is a mechanism that conditions my movements. With time and habit, this mechanism will become my comfort ... The project’s necessity springs from the constraints imposed ... by an aesthetic universe wherein things are stan- dardised, average.”

“I would like to make these Cells my homes, where I define my sensations, culti- vate my behaviours. These homes will be a means of resistance to a society that keeps me from becoming what I must become.”

Absalon, Cellules, 1993

The conceptual parallel of the project is mainly based on the necessary development of the individual into a group of individuals with a common vision of coexistence within the context of a structured weekly series (see explanation in 4.5). As a part of the Biennial’s workdays, a group of protagonists will act in the form of a long- term performance, taking place throughout the 28-week-long Biennial.

The artwork can become sincerely political by comprising the power of art as an ideology (like in this case Togetherness, faith in the community), which repeats itself, and through persistence inspires difference and consequently change by not dictating it. 

VISUAL SITUATIONS

 

 

2.1 STRUCTURE IS NOT AN AGGREGATE, IT’S A SYSTEM

In its first phase (Day 1), the spatial installation is a neutral, homogenous, white architectural form. Its interior is composed of several mutually connected functional (modular) cells. In the consecutive phases (Day 2 − Day 6), the white architectural form opens up: certain parts (cells) dissociate from the initial unit as a result of sys- tematic performative actions. Each expansion of the homogenous space constitutes a new, contrasting visual situation. Due to the functional (sound, archive, performative tools etc.) and visual elements (contrasting light situations, exposure of objects and space as a picture), the interiors of the individual cells create a new spatial composition.

“Consider a particular space until the eyes blur and the edges move and translate this vision for an audience, using various devices to alter the visual field. Layers of sound determined by the limits, the boundaries, the distance, accompany the activity of the performer (a language of gesture / a state of mind). Like a drawing, the final image emerges – the audience is witness to this drawing (and drawings within the drawing) – a ritual. A myth in pictorial form.”

Joan Jonas

Once the cells are divided, the common and communicative space becomes the core of the structure. The for- mal and conceptual purpose of the project is to create harmonious moments. I do not perceive harmony as something permanent and lasting, since harmony for me is the moment, when individual voices merge. Thus, the spatial installation, visual situations, sound, music, and performers act as autonomous generators of cre- ativity in space and time, which combine separate acts through solidarity and collaboration into a harmoni- ous multimedia structure.

2.2 THREE-/FOUR-DIMENSIONAL POETRY

By setting up a white architectural form as a tabula rasa in dialogue with and contrast to the historic and pres- ent context of the Arsenal, the structure establishes the necessity of action/reaction to the present. The white walls at the centre of the pavilion do not outline the concept of the gallery’s white cube as an ideal “display” of art objects; on the contrary, they symbolically unite four social circles (house, production space, sacral space, public space) that define the individual, into a monumental installation.

The proportional relationship of the protagonist towards the architectural form consciously places the appar- ent surreal happening into the embrace of real initial concepts. Despite that, or maybe because of that, the project expresses the necessity of a daily formation of (no matter how symbolic or even invisible) personal manifestation. In the weekly chronological breakdown, the white architecture becomes a canvas, a carrier of minimalist gestures in the form of abstract drawings, poetic utterances, and video projections of monumental dimensions. Various light situations which illuminate the main object or derive from individual cells play a significant part of the daily visual peak.

2.3 NONVIOLENT REVOLT / VIOLENT HOPE

The vibrating, pulsating kernel of the broad and complex Biennial’s organism simultaneously appears as a canvas and a backstage. Through conscious comprehension, integral acceptance and exposure of tendencies, a small team can establish itself as a nonviolent guerrilla group availing itself of the power of poetry interpreted as vio- lent hope, a phenomenon occurring in poetry and art but by no means in politics. In concordance with the so far stressed curatorial intention of chief curator Okwui Enwezor about the deterritorialisation of the initial cell in na- tional pavilions and interests, the Slovenian pavilion clearly becomes an independent kernel, a platform within the platform, a microorganism within the macroorganism of the Venice Biennial. 

SOUND

 

3.1 POLYPHONY

The minimal and specific use of devices in the contemporary musical accompaniment allows a transfor- mation of gentle sonorous signals into structured, multilayered acoustic panoramas and musical compo- sitions. In harmony with repetitive performative actions, the sound plays a principal role in the creation of an integral experience of the project. The project draws on signals from prevailing situations and transforms them directly (live) into an atmospheric, yet tangible harmonious structure. The vision of sound is not based on noise or cacophony, but on a harmonious polyphony of all elements included in the given situation: sounds of the place, sounds of individual kinetic parts of the structure, sound recordings from previous days, and vocal performances. Pursuant to the chronological breakdown of individual days in the weekly structure, the sound structure provides a culmination to dense one- or two-hours-long sonorous/ musical peaks (see explanation in 4.5).

“When people leave a concert, after this group experience, situation they shared ... they all go to their part of the city, their lives, but for that night and the days that follow, they all stay connected. All of them. This is the one and only true political power.”

Jim Morrison 

PERFORMANCE

 

4.1 TO CREATE IS TO RESIST / TO RESIST IS TO CREATE

An artwork can become political, if the ideology is inspiring not dictating. Considering its features of being a repetitive long-term performance, the project “Utter / The Violent Necessity for the Embodied Presence of Hope” is a structured act of discipline. It is a call on collective sensibility. Through long-term repetitious actions, knowledge, and gestures in time sequences that last throughout the entire duration of the Ven- ice Biennial, and the transformation of gestures to rituals, the group of performers act like a non-violent guerrilla body which by the power of poetry (and hope) call upon a pandemic realisation of the idea about community and closeness − the common faith in the existence of true alternatives.

4.2 BASIC PERFORMATIVE BODY

The basic performative body that will operate during the official workdays of the Arsenal consists of three protagonists: Michele Drascek, Janez Vidrih (Junzi), and Jaša. Based on the initial concepts and ideology of Togetherness (community), the scenario is divided into individual days as parts of the weekly structure. The efficient operation of the group is grounded on past experience in executing durational performances and directing multimedia installations. In this project, the phenomenon of fascination (the surplus) will be extended to 28 weeks and by that will establish entirely new conditions for delivering the project’s basic message.

4.3 CHRONOLOGICAL BREAKDOWN AND DURATION OF PERFORMANCE

The week is divided into 6 parts: 6 days as time units (from Tuesday to Sunday, every Biennial day open to the public). The days are numbered according to their position in the weekly structure, from 1 to 6. The weekly struc- ture repeats from the beginning to the end of the project: from 9 May 2015 to 22 November 2015, and includes the opening and the closing performances.

Individual events are divided into acts and the days have a classic drama triangle: 10h−12h Status quo / preparations + diary / traces of the previous day
12h−14h Changes > intro
14h−16h Development > peak

16h−18h Transition and closure 

4.4 DIARY

The weekly chronological breakdown anticipates a systematic crescendo in all exposed communication media. Features of individual actions/gestures and situations cause the architecture to serve as a white sheet of paper, a weekly diary − a carrier of the uniqueness in individual cycles.

The weekly diary consists of:

A) Visual elements (on white surfaces of the installation)
Traces of performative interventions:
- Abstract repetitive drawings (protagonists and kinetic elements) - Poetically political statements

B) Sound recordings (as parts of sonorous and musical structures) - Atmosphere (recordings of the place and the people)
- Poetically political statements

C) Video footage (video projections, video mapping on the installation’s white surfaces) - Daily (partly) documentation of the happening

On Day 6, the final day of the weekly cycle, all visible records of the week are whitewashed; the installation is prepared for Day 1 of the new week.

4.5 WEEKLY CYCLE

Day 1

White monolith.
There is a monolith and its monumental radiating presence of white surfaces. A deep, vibrating ambient sound (drone) is audible from the monolith’s interior. The set-up is visible and approachable from all sides. Through peepholes in the walls, observers can view the interior and perceive the happening: the presence of the performers’ actions who enter the monolith before it’s opening to the public can be sensed in the interior.

Day 2

In the first half of the day, the structure divides in two parts: the interior becomes visible and the middle space − the community space − opens up. The divided elements get meticulously put into place. The spatial drawing is developed through the creation of performers. Up next is a live sound performance and musical components. The performers carry out different symbolic acts: drawing abstract geometric drawings and writing statements on white surfaces. Contrary to the first day, the second day progresses with a powerful visual effect: the common space slowly expands.

Day 3

The installation carries traces of the previous day: drawings, poetry. The sound is a recording of the previ- ous day. The performers carry out new symbolic gestures and acts; projections occur, the happening creates a new, general visual situation − development of a drawing. The day progresses with a slowly developing crescendo that leads to a dense sound performance. The remaining time of the day’s peak serves as an out- ro (conclusion) up to the closure.

Day 4

The installation carries traces of all previous days, including the sound. Repeating acts of performers in relation to kinetic elements. The slowly ascending sound scenery that reaches its peak in the central sound performance varies in weekly versions with the same message:
a) A choir singing the song Togetherness (lyrics enclosed at the end of the presentation),

b) A solo opera singer or violin player performing the melody of Togetherness, c) A geometric composition created by a group of performers dressed in black. The day closes slowly with fading sounds and acts.

Day 5

The installation carries traces of all previous days. The sound scenery consists of musical recordings from the previous day. Again, performers carry out “militant”, repeating acts. The structure of the day is built into an ascending crescendo of repeating fragments from previous days. Spontaneous moments that hap- pened during the week are reinterpreted through the performance. Thus, the installation becomes a gener- ator of memory and of newly acquired experiences in the form of echoing and repeating acts.

Day 6

The installation carries traces of all previous days, including the sound. Performers document and archive the “consequences” of the weekly happening in the weekly diary. The weekly “log book” is kept in one of the cells. The performance of the sixth day includes “returning” the spatial installation into its initial state − the homog- enous white form. Compilation of elements, whitening etc., a collaborative work that returns the monolith into its state on the first day.