During a trip over the summer to London I visited the Wellcome collection gallery as I have a few times before as I find it fascinating with interests which have remained with me during my last studio project on the brain. Whilst visiting the exhibition for 'An Idiosyncratic A to Z of the Human ConditionZ" was on. The exhibition asked for participation in a number of ways. The gallery states that this is to:
"Rather than attempt to define the human condition, this A-Z gives an imperfect and impressionistic presentation. As meaning-seeking and empathetic creatures, I hope visitors will enjoy the opportunities it offers to pause for thought, to wonder and to share experiences. Although the exhibition doesn't reveal the meaning of life, it grapples with many of its questions and offers glimpses of how others have done so before."- Wellcome collection.
I found this interesting as I felt that it did manage to reveal aspects of human nature simply by watching other people engage with and interact with the challenges. I found it especially made a strong contemporary comment about digital culture by the use of embracing smart phones and social networking in their exhibition as I observed those around me any my friends who were visiting with me who were not interested in the arts engage with the art exhibit in a way that that they would not had they simply been presented with resolved artworks.
Furthermore as the exhibition gave a chance for participants photos to become part of the exhibition I think it encouraged more people to want to join in as a egotistical yet seemingly inescapable part of human nature. The thought that your image would become a material part of the exhibition to be seen by many people allows a feeling of joining something and leaving a legacy. This links me back to my thoughts on the modern reproduction of wishing logs and cairns. Though cairns and megaliths and the wishing logs may have begun as a form of worship and mark making do we still invest in them for spiritual means, or are we simply desperate to leave our mark and our legacy in any way we can?
When considering this in comparison to the digital age and throw away society by attempting to share our thoughts and memories through social media we are perhaps become even easier to forgot. As these blog posts demonstrate, they are ephemeral and will soon be forgotten in the vast internet space. will not become a part of history like a physical printed book or monument which can be physically rediscovered. Therefore I feel that amongst other things, the notion of the need to be remember and joining in to leave legacies is a part of human nature which we desire.
Another exhibition which I saw whilst in London was the Gilbert and George exhibition for 'Scapegoating pictures for London' at the whitecube gallery.
I find Gilbert and George's work difficult to deal with. On one had I admire their manifestos to create work which is for all people not just the educate and elite, however I question this as the crude manner which they deal with topics does still very much resemble modern art which has a soul purpose to shock and appal.
However the more I considered these works the depth in meaning I began to find and they became more endearing. I found the way that they use digital manipulation to create their vast pieces very powerful and the end image creates works which due to their vivid colour and scale seems familiar to that of stained glass windows in churches.
Furthermore I admired how they condensed a contemporary perspective of life in London and the associations we make to certain religions, classes and crimes.
I found this a interesting review of scapegoating from the guardian:
"What are they really trying to say? Wrong question. Good art does not have a single "message". It is a mirror of the age. These pictures mirror the tensions and contradictions of Britain in the era of Ukip. They deserve to be on hoardings on public squares instead of just in an art gallery.
Gilbert & George make art that matters. It wants you to argue with it. It wants you to think. It wants to be part of life. At the centre of it are two men in love with everything they see."