OUT OF CONTEXT

OUT OF CONTEXT /an exhibition curated by Maaike Bakker & Jayne Crawshay-Hall (Curated by Collective)

UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG ART GALLERY | 22 APRIL- 20 MAY 2015

featured artists

DIRK BAHMANN MAAIKE BAKKER MIA CHAPLINRUANN COLEMANLALA CRAFFORDJAYNE CRAWSHAY-HALLHERMAN DE KLERKISABELLA KNEMEYERALLEN LAINGMAJA MALJEVICSTEFAN RIEBEL

OUT OF CONTEXT /

An exhibtition curated by Maaike Bakker & Jayne Crawshay-Hall (curated by Collective)

There can be no constants, no essences and no immobile forms of uninterrupted continuities. – Adapted from Foucault (1976)

Out of Context explores the dynamic relationship between contexts and constructs and the knowledge thereof. Constructs, or systems, become dysfunctional – the very act of labeling a system implies that the system can be broken down. A system is rendered useless by extracting components rather than functioning as a representative of its knowledge. Curated by Collective (Maaike Bakker & Jayne Crawshay-Hall) sets out to conceive exhibitions that push boundaries in order to challenge traditional conventions of exhibition making. As a collective, our aim is to present exhibitions that are experimental in nature and where the system of exhibition making, and the exhibition space, can become a vehicle for constructing and exploring new meaning. Out of context, an exhibition installed at UJ Art Gallery, features Dirk Bahmann, Maaike Bakker, Mia Chaplin, Ruann Coleman, Jayne Crawshay-Hall, Lala Crafford, Herman de Klerk, Bella Kneymeyer, Allen Laing, Maja Maljevic and Stefan Riebel, contemporary artists invited based on the nature of their practice which often encompasses pushing boundaries in terms of systems of making, or systems of interpretation. The exhibition explores the system of curating whereby items are reinstalled, rehashed and revised to construct new meaning.

The post-structuralist notion of de-systematisation renders constructs ‘null and void’. Foucault discusses the notion of power and knowledge, confined within a discourse or construct, which is forever evolving and as such, remains open-ended. Foucault (1976) states “[…] there is a strange kind of paradox in the desire to assign to this same category of subjugated knowledges what are on the one hand the products of meticulous, erudite, exact historical knowledge, and on the other hand local and specific knowledges which have no common meaning and which are in some fashion allowed to fall into disuse whenever they are not effectively and explicitly maintained in themselves.” As such, neither system falls away however, exact and historical knowledges become opposing and absurd. Considering this, constructs essentially become open-ended– the essentialist nature of a construct, and of the knowledge thereof, is paradoxical.

An artwork forms part of the artist’s oeuvre and so manifests itself as an integral part of the system suggested by the artist. Therefore, an exploration of the dynamic relationship between contexts and constructs takes place. The featured works respond to the notion of elaborate systems and the idea of extracting

components no longer representative of their source. The artwork is thus extracted, to form part of a system presented by Curated by Collective, which envisions a new construct, with a new agenda. A new system is thus proposed, where meaning is mediated, removed further and further from its source or original system. The exhibition explored curatorial agendas, which are often set adjacent , and thus exercises the opposite effect and by reconstituting it, setting a game of broken telephone into motion and thus leaving the artworks Out of Context.

Ruann Coleman repositions found items into a system of making. His work deals with the notion of play, impromptu, chance and coincidence. The environment in which Colemann’s sculptures are shown become part of the reception of the piece. As such, he plays between systems of fluke and mastery.

Lala Crafford abstracts the mundane and, through monumentalizing these particularities in video, frames the mundane within a different context. These particularities become further abstracted through the reflections of the video on acetate sheets. Exposures to these effects propose a new form for consideration,

which challenges its origin. Mia Chaplin’s process is similar in resemblance, however Chaplin rather refracts moments into the mundane – assigning each instant importance by monumentalising it in a traditional medium. Bella Knemeyer’s work draws from various landscapes, explored through travel, which have been sculpturally translated into a new system of interpretation. The extraordinary visual interpretation of topographical elements form compositions that are entirely new. Through the audience’s involvement of shifting the elements, the work continuously develops new contexts for these excerpts of landscapes.

Allen Laing’s works feature the construction of devices which serve to negotiate different forms of fair exchange. Out of context, the works appear to have an ambiguous functionality. However, the works serve to highlight an already existing exchange which through their production underline the awkwardness and mutual expectation of certain systems, so often assumed by default.

Within Herman de Klerk’s work, implied events are deconstructed and distilled into singular objects with no visible timeline. De Klerk works with movement that becomes

futile. Similarly, Dirk Bahmann’s piece uses movement to constantly zoom in or out of an existing work. By developing a new system of representation, Bahmann hopes to arrive at a threshold where the work begins to develop its own visual identity, meaning and language, beyond his intentions as the artist. Maja Maljevic is interested in expressing a visual language constructed of abstract elements and principles that converse with each other but essentially do not resolve in a narrative. This visual language, developed through the artist’s system of making, relies on visual sensitivity to translate internal systems of art making.

Stafan Reibel’s Being everywhere is based on the notion of utopian space. Riebel, based in Berlin, fills balloons with his breath to send all over the world. Once the balloon reaches the designated destination, the artist asks that the balloon is destroyed so that his breath can be set free, out of context. The intentions for the exhibition Out of context, were further rendered useless within the artists system of designating breath to space, as the balloon never arrived. Viewers were presented with the background of the exhibition, and previous instances surrounding this piece. Asked to imagine

the impact of the piece separately from the work itself further encourages viewers to consider to what extent the extraction of knowledge of work from a singular system can be considered as a revision of knowledge. As such, Out of context explores to what extent the exhibition, and exhibition making, can be considered as an activator of knowledge.

References:Foucault, M. 1976. Power/knowledge, in Selected interviews and other writings 1972-1977 (1980), edited by C Gordon. New York: Pantheon Books.

ALLEN LAINGFor exchange of tit for tat (2015)Wood & Mixed Media

MIA CHAPLINBad Blood (2015)Oil on canvas

RUANN COLEMANStudy I (2015)Wood, Magnet and steel

MAAIKE BAKKER/// ||| /// ||| (2015)Ink on Fabriano

ALLEN LAINGTo facilitate mass debate (2015)Wood, Nails, Hammer & Mixed Media

DIRK BAHMANNPlato’s cave (2015)Electronics, ardunio, Perspex, painted wire

JAYNE CRAWSHAY-HALLSelf-conscious, unafraid, unashamed (2015)Golden glitter on canvas

ISABELLA KNEMEYER And again (2015)Found artefacts, cement, wood, aluminium rails, steel channels

RUANN COLEMANUntitled (2015)Steel

RUANN COLEMANStay (2014)Glass and duct tape

HERMAN DE KLERKStrandpulling (cont.) (2015)Chest expander, athletic tape, mild steel, wood, automotive paint.

LALA CRAFFORDPassages (2015)video projection on pvc plastic film

HERMAN DE KLERKMaslow & Me (2015)Silicone rubber, revolving amber light, tanning goggles, cement, mild steel.

MAAIKE BAKKER[ ] (2015)Electric cables, plugs

ALLEN LAING For deal making or breaking (2015)Steel & Mixed Media

MAJA MALJEVIC Installation view

MAJA MALJEVICClose to the sea is an advantage (2015)Ink, gouache and pencil on paper

MAJA MALJEVICMeeting one in front (2015)Ink, gouache and pencil on paper34 x 43 cm

MAJA MALJEVICUpper end (2015)Ink, gouache and pencil on paper

MAJA MALJEVICThree cornered (2015)Pencil on paper

MAJA MALJEVICTogether with the imaginary line (2015)Ink, gouache and pencil on paper

MAJA MALJEVICAny three points (2015)Ink and pencil on paper

MAJA MALJEVICThe way one is placed (2015)Ink, gouache and pencil on paper

Installation view of the exhibition