September, 2018
When asked by the Seoul Museum of Art to join this retrospective, I questioned the significance of shipping costly artworks and re-exhibiting well documented performances to the Museum's audience. I'd found on-line many more of these 'Western retrospectives'* from better known artists than myself, and I had doubts about the works reaching the viewers and challenging them as they had done for me.
I was about to decline the offer when Dušan Barok, editor of Monoskop.org, contacted me. Dušan said he'd be participating in the Seoul Mediacity Biennale 2018 at the same time as my retrospective. While reading up on this year's 10th anniversary event, and how the "Collective" wanted to structure it, an idea was planted.
I proposed inviting Mediacity participants to (Re)create my retrospective through a series of four workshops that could be worked out in no particular order using a workbook that I'd write. In the colored tabs above you will find an overview of each workshop and the corresponding documentation, sent by the participants.
* Some earlier retrospectives on view at the Seoul Museum of Art: DreamWorks Animation: The Exhibition - Journey from Sketch to Screen, Paik Nam June, Stanley Kubrick and Pierre-Auguste Renoir.
Leslie Robbins
Rotterdam, September 2018
Inspiration
Fruit, Vegetable or Flower
I chose an ancient Egyptian pomegranate tapestry. For centuries, the pomegranate has been seen as an exotic fruit by Europeans, well known in many cultures and religions for its justice, equity and fertility, and it's an object of inspiration for many an artist. But maybe a widely known, traditional Korean fruit, vegetable or flower has more meaning to you as a group. It's for you to decide.
Workshop
A team effort on a day with no forecast of rain.
(Suggested time span: 1/4 preparation - 2/4 drawing action 1/4 documentation)
Preparation
Action
Needs (personnel and materials)
Inspiration
The 1:36 minute phone-recorded journey found below.
Workshop
For small group participation. Outcomes can be produced in multiple forms of media, such as video, animation, or performance. Elaborating on or discarding some of the sound bites in the recording is also welcome.
(Suggested time span: 1/4 preparation - 1/2 working - 1/4 presentation.)
Preparation
Action
Break into groups, upload the soundtrack to the computer or laptop you're using, and after discussing and agreeing on a storyboard that will bring your own interpretation to life, start creating.
Don't hesitate to ask the other groups for assistance where needed.
Presentation
The group comes together at the pre-designated time for a semi-casual group critique.
Discuss technique and discuss your results with a critical eye. Learn from each other.
Needs
Inspiration
If you've ever known the feeling of getting caught in the grip of great writing, when a phase or sentence may keep floating back into your thoughts until you do something with it, this is the kind of experience we’ll seek out during the workshop. In literature, that is a good thing, as the writers intended, but the task today is that you think back to a text that you don't like recalling, a text that you believe unjust.
Workshop
For small group or individual participation. Outcomes can be produced in the media with which you feel most comfortable working: drawing, collage, animation, graffiti, graphic design, video, paint, etc. Multiple reactions to one particular text are possible.
(Suggested time span: 1/4 preparation - 1/2 working - 1/4 presentations)
Preparation
Action
Presentation
The group comes together at the pre-designated time for the presentations. Ask yourselves whether or not they capture what you were seeking.
Needs
Volkert van der G. on a hunger strike against the light in his cell
de Volkskrant - ANP 13 July 2002
The suspected murderer of Pim Fortuyn*, the 32-year-old Volkert van der G., has started a hunger strike. His lawyers say he's protesting ongoing camera surveillance in his cell and that a light stays on all day and night -- actions apparently meant to break him, according to the lawyers. Van der G. hasn't given a statement yet. Over Amstel prison also ruled that he spend the night from Thursday to Friday in solitary confinement, and this was allegedly only in order to pester him. Last week Justice department Minister Korthals posted an emergency ruling enabling the continued use of security cameras in G's cell. This was the day after the prison committee decided that the cameras must be removed.
* Pim Fortuyn, political assassination victim, was a Dutch politician, sociologist, author and columnist. Fortuyn, who received his Ph.d. in social sciences, was from 1990 to 1995 Professor at the Erasmus University of Rotterdam.
-19 February 1948, Driehuis - 06 May 2002, Hilversum, The Netherlands.
Leslie's remarks
On the day I completed the piece, Volkert van der G was 52 days into his hunger strike. He was still under 24-hour surveillance, and many a lawful right granted all other prisoners were denied him. His hunger strike lasted 70 days until he felt assured his demands would be met. Once he began eating, his lawyers made sure that all promises were met.
No Kissing Earth - Rotterdam
BK-informatie - achtendertigste jaargang - nummer 5 - 22 July 2016, page 20
'Kissing Earth,' the sculpture by the Danish artist Olafur Eliasson planned for the Central Station Square, isn't going through. The Rotterdam city government has been unable to come up with the estimated 1-1,5 million euros needed for the installation and going onto to point out there was also considerable opposition to the placement of the artwork. The Square is popular as is and functions well as a waiting area. Without the artwork, the space is much more flexible and readily adaptable for Pop-ups and festivals. In 2014, the committee De Bruin chose Eliasson's proposed design consisting of two globes that touch each other in Rotterdam. Reacting to public comment in 2016, Eliasson refined the sculpture with a smaller and more transparent design. At this time, there are no plans to consider an alternative artwork for the Stations Square.
Leslie's remarks
To me, the city government not being able to come up with the funds for what was to be a pivotal piece in the cities sculptural art axis was an excuse to abandon the campaign for public art. Other major cities of the world have taken on this fight, and that led to a change of heart among most resistant residents, who have since adopted and celebrated public art works. I was peeved at Rotterdam's decision and thought if 'the artwork is in the way,' then why not solve the problem by creating an artwork that won't be in the way? And, I did.
Inspiration
Society's reliability and multiple uses of wood and its by-products throughout the ages.
Prerequisite
Workshop
For small group and/or individual participation.
(Suggested timespan: 1/4 preparation - 1/2 working - 1/4 presentation.)
If the participants were not informed of the prerequisites, then the suggested time span: 3/8 preparation - to find or buy items - 4/8 introduction and construction time - 1/8 presentation.
Preparation and Group introduction
Action
Material needs
by Leslie Robbins
Seoul Mediacity Biennale, 2018
Copyright
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike(CC BY-NC-SA)
Design
Leslie Robbins and Lucia Dossin
Edit
Jim Robbins
Thanks to
Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA), Seoul Mediacity Biennale Collective; Minkyung Kim, Coordinator, Seoul Mediacity Biennale Office, SeMA; Lim Kyung Yong, The Book Society and Dušan Barok, editor of Monoskop.org.