Shiriagari Kotobuki’s Unsolicited Proposals: No. 1

The Staff

Contemporary art surely has to be the freest form of expression in the world. A painting, an object, a performance: simply say ta-dah! A work of art! And there you have it ? contemporary art. But even contemporary art has limits. Cost perhaps, or problems with the technology required to make an idea reality, or even good old violation of “public morals”. The freest thing in the world then may well be not so much contemporary art as the contemporary art proposal. By proposal I mean a plan, a set of ideas and suggestions for a work or exhibition. The conceptual stage of proceedings. At this point anyway, the sky’s the limit. Thus herein lies the greatest freedom of all. Following this chain of logic, starting with this issue I’m launching a new series entitled “Unsolicited Proposals” in which yours truly basically comes up with plans to do whatever he wants. Sounds good, don’t you think?

My first proposal is “The Staff”. You know when you go to an art museum, there are those people sitting unobstrusively in a corner of each room? In this proposal, the entire exhibit consists of a profile of that person. Photos from school sports days, oil paintings they did at art school, perhaps a jersey they never got round to giving to a boyfriend…you get the idea. Initially the viewer will look at all this and think, “Who’s this woman?” Or perhaps, “God, what a hideous painting.” Then like a bolt from the blue it will strike them: this is that museum staff member in a corner of the room, the one they’d never really noticed before. In a flash, the relationship between viewer and place will alter dramatically. Just imagine the change in atmosphere when the viewer realizes to their horror, “What? This is you? Behind me all the time, watching me laugh at you?” So whaddya say? “The Staff”. Do you think some museum might actually let me do it?

Exhibition proposal

Exhibition title
“The Staff”

Synopsis
An exhibition introducing the security/surveillance staff often found in art museums.
The staff member sits there as usual. The viewer does not notice. Interesting huh.

Exhibits
Staff (one per room). Works related to staff (old photographs, pictures
they’ve painted, scarves they’ve knitted etc.)

Budget
Staff, ?\100,000 per person; Transport of works, ?\100,000 (or whatever).

Dates and venue
Any really big museum, for as long as possible.

Admission
General admission ?\1500, Children ?\500 (or whatever).

Source materials
List of “Staff” nationwide. Staff
histories (Assuming they have any).

Originally printed in ART iT No.18 Winter/Summer 2008

Copyrighted Image