Announcing the results of our ‘unsolicited proposal’ selection! (Round 1)
Well we called for your proposals, and sure enough, in they rolled! A grand total of two that is, so far anyway. Huh! Anyway, this issue we present the proposal submitted to us by a Mr. Osaki of Osaka, Japan. Hmmm…not sure what he’s up to here. The suggestion is that staging exhibitions at the likes of museums and galleries is just old hat now, so we should do it on the pages of ART iT instead.
“The idea is to offer a new location (concept) for art.” Well, fair enough. If sweeping away preconceptions and fixed ideas is one of art’s missions, then equally we should reject the notion of place. Intriguing. But I must confess, personally I find this a trifle lacking in terms of a complete vision. Under this proposal, I get the feeling that depending on one’s interpretation, the kind of stuff we’re already doing, like putting illustrations in features in the magazine, will all count as art. It’d be good if there was some way that those looking at the art could feel more without having to read the text, you know, ‘Ooh, this is novel,’ ‘Now that turns it all around,’ ‘Gorgeous!’ That sort of thing. If for example one is really stuck on the idea of ‘printing and distributing’ as a location, what about more powerful, far-reaching media than a mere art magazine ? say newspapers, or those tissues they hand out on street corners? Or if the aim is to reach as many people as possible, why not courier delivery, or email? And if you’re absolutely determined to stay with the ‘location’ thing, why on earth not just exhibit the location? But what would that mean? Throwing a dart into a map of Japan in front of the viewer, and calling the place it strikes ‘the exhibit this time’? I’m sure there are loads of possibilities, but I suspect one could take that same idea and come up with something with far more impact, or far more attractive. Come on guys! Don’t be shy, bring on those proposals!
Exhibition proposal
Name
Osaki Tomu (Artist)
Exhibition title
Without a title
Synopsis
These days art exhibitions can be held anyplace, anytime. The proposal therefore is to run a show using the pages of ART iT as a white cube, the idea being to offer a new location (concept) for art.
Exhibits
Drawings and installations by Osaki Tomu. The exhibition in the pages of ART iT, ie the exhibition itself could also be deemed a work. The works could be purchased (number of editions = number
of copies of the magazine) by cutting out the works along the dotted lines.The next show will be by Osaki Tomu under a different name, or a different artist.
Budget
Printing, labor and miscellaneous costs associated with printing ART iT
Dates and venue
Dates: Period in which ART iT is on shelves
Venue: ART iT pages
Admission
ART iT retail price: ?\1,400. Or free if browsing at the bookstore
Source materials
Drawings, installations by Osaki Tomu
Originally printed in ART iT No.20 Summer/Fall 2008