Contemporary
12 Jul - 30 Sep 2006
Contemporary
curated by Maria Rosa Sossai
Opening Wednesday, July 12th 2006 7:00 pm
from July 12th – 30th / from September 12th-30
In the months of July and September the Magazzino d’Arte Moderna presents two projects, a series of international artists’ videos and Top 100 by Davide Bertocchi.
These videos investigate, in particular, a renewed and increasingly diffused interest by artists in the video of performance. The artists’ lines of research testify how in recent years this expressive genre has regenerated itself, while still maintaining a tie to its historic roots that signalled the beginnings of artists’ videos in the 1960s.
Top 100 was born in 2003 when Davide Bertocchi asked 100 curators and critics a very simple question, though full of symbolic implications: the title of their favourite song. That unique and only song, for example, that they would bring with them to a desert island. In reality, this request stresses the most basic aesthetic choice and Bertocchi is interested in exactly this gesture – simple and complete, but always less evident in a period of criticism globalised to a unified consensus. Top 100 gathers the art world’s musical choices but each choice assumes the importance of a radical and critical gesture.
The vinyl version of each of the 100 songs were pasted together and utilised as the wheels of an improbable sculpture-vehicle (a hybrid prototype and cross between a kayak and Formula 1) that metaphorically “balances” on all these choices. The songs were also then published (thanks to the collaboration of the Dena Foundation, Paris; Quarantine Series, Amsterdam; and Palazzo delle Papesse, Siena) on a MP3 CD, in an edition of 500 entitled Top 100.
In 2005 the project expanded to include another 100 personalities in the art world (this time mostly artists, but also curators and gallerists) and the relative compilation, Top 100 vol.2 was diffused via radio during the exhibition Radiodays” at the De Appel in Amsterdam. The compilation CD, vol.2, was later presented in the Nuke Gallery, Paris in March 2006. In this occasion the production of the CD vol.2 was made possible thank to the precious collaboration of the Dena Foundation, Paris; Galerie Paolo Boselli, Brussels; and “Radiodays”, De Appel, Amsterdam.
The last CD of the Top 100 trilogy, vol.3, involves another 100 personalities and will be completed soon.
Video programme:
12 - 30 July
Justin Moore, “Deliver Me Gently”, 3 min. 56 sec., 2001
A domestic environment becomes the plane on which the artist imparts the evolution of a word to a very fast pace.
Skylar Haskard, “Octagonal Erection”, 12 min., 2005
The chaotic constructions of the artist invent an imaginary and kaleidoscopic space.
Julie Orser, “Bit Parts”, 3 min. 20 sec., 2005
Devil-may-care actions and mishaps create micro cadenced incidents, exploiting the principle of gravity.
Joshua Callaghan, “Self Titled Debut”, 2 min., 2002
Film and television characters, taken from a variety of clips, transform themselves into a performer who repeats the first and last name of the artist.
12 - 30 September
The series continues in September with a new selection of videos.
Image:
TOP 100, 2003 – 2006
fiberglass, aluminium, 100 vinyl records; 385x45x30 cm
Courtesy of Davide Bertocchi
curated by Maria Rosa Sossai
Opening Wednesday, July 12th 2006 7:00 pm
from July 12th – 30th / from September 12th-30
In the months of July and September the Magazzino d’Arte Moderna presents two projects, a series of international artists’ videos and Top 100 by Davide Bertocchi.
These videos investigate, in particular, a renewed and increasingly diffused interest by artists in the video of performance. The artists’ lines of research testify how in recent years this expressive genre has regenerated itself, while still maintaining a tie to its historic roots that signalled the beginnings of artists’ videos in the 1960s.
Top 100 was born in 2003 when Davide Bertocchi asked 100 curators and critics a very simple question, though full of symbolic implications: the title of their favourite song. That unique and only song, for example, that they would bring with them to a desert island. In reality, this request stresses the most basic aesthetic choice and Bertocchi is interested in exactly this gesture – simple and complete, but always less evident in a period of criticism globalised to a unified consensus. Top 100 gathers the art world’s musical choices but each choice assumes the importance of a radical and critical gesture.
The vinyl version of each of the 100 songs were pasted together and utilised as the wheels of an improbable sculpture-vehicle (a hybrid prototype and cross between a kayak and Formula 1) that metaphorically “balances” on all these choices. The songs were also then published (thanks to the collaboration of the Dena Foundation, Paris; Quarantine Series, Amsterdam; and Palazzo delle Papesse, Siena) on a MP3 CD, in an edition of 500 entitled Top 100.
In 2005 the project expanded to include another 100 personalities in the art world (this time mostly artists, but also curators and gallerists) and the relative compilation, Top 100 vol.2 was diffused via radio during the exhibition Radiodays” at the De Appel in Amsterdam. The compilation CD, vol.2, was later presented in the Nuke Gallery, Paris in March 2006. In this occasion the production of the CD vol.2 was made possible thank to the precious collaboration of the Dena Foundation, Paris; Galerie Paolo Boselli, Brussels; and “Radiodays”, De Appel, Amsterdam.
The last CD of the Top 100 trilogy, vol.3, involves another 100 personalities and will be completed soon.
Video programme:
12 - 30 July
Justin Moore, “Deliver Me Gently”, 3 min. 56 sec., 2001
A domestic environment becomes the plane on which the artist imparts the evolution of a word to a very fast pace.
Skylar Haskard, “Octagonal Erection”, 12 min., 2005
The chaotic constructions of the artist invent an imaginary and kaleidoscopic space.
Julie Orser, “Bit Parts”, 3 min. 20 sec., 2005
Devil-may-care actions and mishaps create micro cadenced incidents, exploiting the principle of gravity.
Joshua Callaghan, “Self Titled Debut”, 2 min., 2002
Film and television characters, taken from a variety of clips, transform themselves into a performer who repeats the first and last name of the artist.
12 - 30 September
The series continues in September with a new selection of videos.
Image:
TOP 100, 2003 – 2006
fiberglass, aluminium, 100 vinyl records; 385x45x30 cm
Courtesy of Davide Bertocchi