Open Exhibition Invite 1

Date Added:
[August 8, 2013]
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Archi-space:

Submissions are sought for an Open Exhibition

Send us a visual interpretation of the term

‘Object Abuse’

 

September 21st to December 15th 2013,

at Spinach: a central London space.

 

A Private View shall take place on the 12th Dec 2013.

Contributions will be accepted until the day before the private view.

 All artwork will be exhibited and artists credited.

As the artwork comes in over the three-month period, the exhibition will thus expand and we hope it completely takes over the space. Updates on this progress will appear on the website. All contributing artists will be credited and listed on the following websites; www.objectabuse.com and www.spinach.co.uk/artists/

What does Object Abuse look like?

The answer to this question is not so straight forward, but when you put obvious ethical or ecological perspectives to one side, then the possibility for speculation really is limitless.

Who is to say the object in question is passive and not active? What really qualifies as abuse (in this context), is it quantifiable and can we envisage it’s subtler variations? For that matter, what is an object; or rather can we say what isn’t an object…with any real certainty? Isn’t everything an object?

 

Submission details:

We request that artworks be submitted as hard copy, so it needs to be sent through the post to the Spinach space (address below). Submissions can also be handed in.

We will only accept artwork in a 2D format and it should not exceed an A4 scale. Submissions can take the form of an image, drawing text, collage, a proposal, documentation, etc. Please do not send anything larger than A4, or sculpture, time-based work, etc…

Please pack the work well, we cannot take responsibility for any damage or loss in the post. Art works cannot be returned, unless you are able to collect it in person. [from 12th Jan 2014] Post exhibition, the work will be collated into an ongoing Object Abuse archive.

Please write ‘Open Exhibition’ on your submission + provide us with artist name, email & title of the work.

 

Send your submission to:

Martin J Gent. Spinach. 144 Liverpool Road. London. N1 1LA. UK

 

This is a McCormack and Gent curatorial project.

Spinach is a London based, creative qualitative research agency that has an ongoing curatorial program that has exhibited UK and international artists for over a decade. [http://www.spinach.co.uk]

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Object abuse asks the question:
who or what is being abused?

Object Abuse has been set up to provide a platform for people to discuss, provoke and question the very nature and orientation of objects. The aim is to readdress the unquestioned drives of our collective pursuits, to turn the tables on the object-subject dynamic.

This investigation’s relevance is reflected in recent developments in philosophy, shifts in our socio-cultural landscape and is finding expression in the visual arts. This questioning of our human-centric perspective is reflected through current ideas found in the works of Bruno Latour, Graham Harman, Quentin Meillassoux, Anselm Franke and others.

The question: what exactly is object abuse is by no means obvious, when you think about it, who is to say the object in question is passive and not active? Also it is worth asking where does the form of abuse originate from? What qualifies abuse, is it quantifiable, can we identify subtler variations? And for that matter; what is an object, or rather can we say what is not an object…with any real certainty?

OA‘s function is to invite a multidisciplinary engagement; to be a forum, a curatorial framework and an archival space.

We welcome expressions of interest and contributions to the ongoing debate.