S.O.S – Pension by Space on sail @Frieze (London 15 – 18 October)

The “glasnost” and the value of the selection process in “Open Call“ by Brina Thurston

Next Friday, 16 October, our last project S.o.S – Pension will be presented within the framework of Frieze Projects at the 2009 Frieze Art Fair, by the artist Brina Thurston (under Filipa Oliveira and Miguel Amado curatorship) as part of the project “Impossibile Exchange“, aimed to play on the transactional nature of the art fair. From their stand, visitors will be invited to engage in a number of activities that reverse or subvert the usual exchange of money for goods or services.

“Open Call” – Concept:

Brina Thurston’s Open Call considers the ostensibly democratic process by which art institutions invite artists to submit works to be considered for exhibition, but in which many factors other than quality and merit operate.

Transporting what happens behind closed doors to a public arena, this project consists of an open call to artists that are not included in the 2009 Frieze Art Fair and the presentation in a booth of all the proposals submitted for one day.

Thurston queries the existing logic of open calls by providing exposure opportunities for a range of artists outside of the gallery system and shifting the power of selection to the artist.

Space On Sail partecipated with over 400 artists over the world submitting its work S.o.S – Pension via the Internet.

The images will be organized and reviewed live at the booth of “Impossible Exchange“ by a panel of artists, curators, writers and general public.

As you know, It’s a common practice for today’s artist to submit their work to countless calls for exhibitions; what happens after their work is sent off is veiled process to which Open Call offers-up one possibility.

IN THIS CASE, WE ALL MADE IT INTO THE SHOW!

Frieze Art Fair takes place every October in Regent’s Park, London. The fair showcases new and established artists to an international audience.

From thursday 15 to sunady 18 October  2009 Frieze Art Fair will feature over 150 of the most exciting contemporary art galleries in the world. The fair also includes specially commissioned artists’ projects, a prestigious talks programme and an artist-led education schedule.

Something about S.o.S – Pension

INTRO

“The Life stream(ing) is substituting the Real Life. Only what we see it does exist. The iper-realism is changing the private life and the public and political ones with strong consequences: there is a tremendous trend that can be defined as the emotions synchronization. Everything must happen live . People obtain divine characteristics: ubiquity and immediacy. But these are God own attributes that if given to human beings create an in-human condition. What’s left? Not so much. After some adjustments we are ready for another emotional earthquake. Speed is a way of seeing. And politics tends toward iper-realism. Even better, the political system belongs to this trend. Democracy, as we have been used to it, with opinions build through debates and representatives voted on the basis of their programs, could disappear. We are going towards an endless-shock politic system, that speak to the people needs.” (Paul Virilio).

How can we escape from this obedience?

We need to learn how to distinguish opinions from emotions. Emotion is a reaction and not a careful consideration.

Life/Live is a concept that involves resistance. It is not an absolute resistance because it is based on the knowledge that “live” is a part of the “real life”. We live a life where Live (the show acted/viewed/broadcasted/shared) rules on Life (the real life, lived).

The result will be an opposition when Live overcomes Life; then we must resist to the increasing speed of living. How?

S.o.S. – PENSION

S.o.S  - Pension is a system (based on the principle of brake/friction of climbing equipment) that allows an evident resistance, as element of urban resistance.

The concept consists on a new interpretation of the single seesaw project. A body harness that allows the rising of the “resisting person“. In that moment the “resisting person” rises up from the ground and offers himself to the slowdown. In the same time he becomes a visible sign of resistance.

In this context the city will be a place of resistance. The performers will choose places where it is possible the free “S.o.S. – Pension” and they will indicate them with their presence.

I Realize: Disrupt to Rebuild

On last June 9th and 10^th, Space on Sail attended IRealize: the two day meeting managed by Topix at the Virtual Reality  & Multimedia park, Corso Lombardia, Turin.

Quoting the description available on the website of the event:

“Two days aimed at identifying unsolved problems, suggesting possible (technological?) solutions and stimulating the creation of new disruptive start-ups in different fields: Eating, Moving and Interacting , Growing (with three sub-divisions: Design/Media/wellness”

Notably, during the first day, Space on Sail attended the Media panel titled: Cogito, ergo sum and/or Carpe diem (i.e. are we really growing) managed by Jasper Bouwsma.

Contest:

We are surrounded by media and much can be obtained not only for free but also on different platforms… free newspapers, iPhone, TV, YouTube and so on. The amount of information is overwhelming, sometimes even scary. Where is this going? How does/will this influence us and the world around us?
In this workshop we move away from our own personal experience and opinion and look from at three generations represented by personas that very roughly sketch the diversity in needs within the society.

Our tasks:

To design and to visualize 3 maps about Needs, Existing Answers and Disruptive solutions.

Our goal:

Trying to answer the following question with an innovative solution: “Individual growth and development is subject to an increasing number of inputs both on the intellectual side and on the physical side and psychological side, but we are really growing”?

Methodology:

First of all in order to investigate customers’ needs we wonder: nowadays what do media represent for us?

Several points of view rose up:

We agreed that the definition of Media includes EVERYTHING where the main three elements are: Where (Home, moving or @Destination) /Relevance (Personal, Social and Economic) /Engagement (Active/Passiv).

We have been able to convert this information in one 3D matrix

Are there already some existing solutions?

“The best way to predict the future  is to design it”(Buckminster Fuller)

Notably, we found the possibility to find a solution inside the word EVERYWHERE, that means that the dimensional aspect of our matrix could be preferentially considered as a place (not only physical) where to find inspiration.

But after that, how about disruptive solutions?

What is disruption?

Furthermore in what kind of disruptor are we?

We highlighted some categories:

-Revolutionary or discontinuous? An innovation that creates a new market by allowing customers to solve problems in a radically brand new way.

-Evolutionary? An innovator that finally improves products on an existing market in ways that customers were expecting?

-Distruptive? An innovator that creates a new and unexpected market by applying a different set of values?

In our analysis we would focus on 2 levels: Economic & Emotional.

We have been focusing on the aspect related to dynamics involving both the audience and the consumer on the cultural market. We have also been considering how to reverse dynamics from the top to the bottom and assuming a way to influence the decision making procedure for the distribution and support of any cultural products (more information about the project will follow);  where our disruptive “sweet” point in business concerning services managing roles & networks.

During the second day Space on Sail had the opportunity to meet all the speakers at attending the conference and listen the other panel presentations. Notably, in our panel: Elio, Kai Zen and our coach Jasper Bouwsma discussed our proposals and shared with us their insights.

Key words: inspiration, suggestions, motivating and also… the opportunity to meet and build relations with new “disruptive” partners.

We could also sum up in just two words our impressions about the staff, the location and the catering services: simply excellent.

…and, the last but not the least,  to be definitely honest we have appreciated also the gadgets distributed along the day!

A special thanks to Alessio Jacona

Some other pictures here