Real Presence 2010

Coloured Sky

During the program of Real Presence 2010 (Belgrade) the participants where invited to give a presentation about their work and interests.
I felt the urge to break with the structure of presentations and try to create more dynamics.
To give colour to the groups presence in the Museum for National History in Belgrade (a.k.a. ‘Tito Museum’) I did something different for my presentation.


photo: David Payr (Austria)


31/08/2010
Coloured Sky; Art in a moment.

What is it to be here in Belgrade with all these people?
Talking about culture,
about politics,
about art.
Art.. What is art?

Art for me is the being in the moment; an experience.
But the experience experienced in a state of presence, with additionally an aftershock.
For me being here in Belgrade at Real Presence made me again realize this.

There is a difference between for example creating a sculpture and creating a moment.
A sculpture is a sculpture and will be a sculpture for the existence of its lifetime.
A moment will be a moment for only a moment. After that we can talk about a memory of a moment (in time).
We cannot go back to the same moment, but a sculpture we can return to.

The moment is where the spectators are all connected to the actual thing. I cannot see the spectators as merely spectators or audience.
They are actively involved; they are maybe participants, or beholders. They are co-creators of the moment; co-authors even, because they give presence to the moment.
They validate the moment, without them there wouldn’t be this moment.

Moments can be staged or created.
Creating moments, is not trying to enforce ideas upon people. It is trying to establish a mental connection; sharing a thought.
The moment can be extended (in memory), but this is already not anymore the moment but an ‘aftermath’, a remembrance.

To get back to the example of the sculptor in relation to creating moments.
It can just be that the creator of the sculpture also tries to create a moment.
And the moment of a sculpture just haves a longer time span?

Only thing is, it will not allow the audience into being co-authors of the moment.