Art challenges our notions of who or what matters. -Leland Maschmeyer paraphrases Matthew Arnold
I was really struck by this comment from Maschmeyer’s presentation at a graphic design conference – and then by where he extended it to. There is a movement known sometimes as relational art in which the artist tries to involve people, inspire interaction, and push people’s ideas of what is acceptable, not necessarily in a shocking way, but simply in a way that stretches.
An Example
One contemporary artist who would fit into this idea, whether he claims the words or not, is Markuz Wernli Saito.
In my art practice I seek the collaboration with the public. This means that people can enter my work, make use of it, and complete it — ideally from the beginning to the end.
He collects his artistic activities under the banner organization Momentarium and also has a design practice.
Momentarium is an initiative of events and happenings initiated by Markuz Wernli Saitô to chip away at pre-conceived ideas surrounding society, art and creation.
At various points in time his endeavors have been intended to make the usual visible, highlight the “ambiguous considerations of our existence,” and create multi-sensory and interdisciplinary artistic experiences for his students to better understand and act within today’s world. His site includes conversations with some other artists whose own philosophies have contact points with his own.
One interesting major project was At Your Service in Kyoto in 2006 in which Saito did such things as keep a mobile tea party, institute an “I Love Trash” day, and stay in one place at the center of a bridge crossing – with a couple chairs. There are videos of each theme on YouTube and this one is an overview of the project with commentary by the artist.
An Extension
All of our senses and experiences can relate to the problem or innovation that we are working on. If there is no direct relationship, the small challenges of our beliefs that take place in our lives still enrich our ability to move beyond the obvious when we accept them as possibility triggers and not dismiss them as out of place.
I wonder if there are artists out there whose work is intended to inspire an understanding of dynamic and delayed interdependencies, such as are important in systems thinking. Or perhaps not artists, but some other situation set apart from and outside of structured situations like seminars and training workshops. Do you know of anything?
