This visibility was explored through a series of rehearsals of scores, tasks, and a list of actions. Some were enacted cooperatively with participating bodies and myself enacted some through schemes devised using a chance operation similar to the I Ching involving the throw of dice and coins. This approach was resulted in a further indeterminacy of the appearances of form in the exhibition.
The site of this exhibition, therefore, became a site of production enveloping a series of experimentation with materials as they were being encountered by methods involving provisional gestures: propping, throwing, and etc, and where other coordinates: entropy, matter, energy, and physics were encountered.
Tuesday 25 August 2009
Performance of Time-Racing (reconfigured) and Walking Exercise: Material Constellation
Duration: 1hr (2-3pm)
About Time-Racing (reconfigured) and Walking Exercise: Material Constellation
Time-Racing (reconfigured) - performed by Michael Farrell, Ardi Gunawan, Tamsin Green, Bianca Hester, & Spiros Panigirakis involved a series of events in movement. The project consisted of a rehearsing of scores, tasks, and actions, involving ‘performers’ to realize the working instructions. The process emphasised the timing of activities and chance encounters concurrent with forming or making activities within sculptural-based productions.
A period of time has been allocated between 2-3pm on Tuesday 25 August for the involved participants to realize their scores, according to their specific timetable. The various scored activities emerging during this hour, therefore, would be contingent encounters between events, objects, forms, and movements. This series of indeterminate coincidence may have occurred at any time because of the performers’ structuring of their own time as given to them in their schedule, specifically on Tuesday 25 August.
Chance operations were utilized to generate a series of timings; therefore activities, material processes; their presence occur(ed?) at random points in time and space - seemingly irregular - within this performative event.
A separate action occurring in the same time schedule was Walking Exercise: Material Constellation. Two walkers and a timer (Ardi Gunawan, Merryn Llyod, Sam Martin, & Masato Takasaka) were invited to walk inside the exhibition room. The realization of this project was effective from 2.10pm - onwards.
By using our several ways of walking in the exhibition room, the physical structure were to be explored cooperatively and immediately. The walking activity not only served as a vehicle for material distribution, but also as a way of responding to a given situation in relation to my other artworks displayed in this room. The space that these artworks have created helped us to recreate another working area. Thus the walk guided the distribution of the material.
The utilized materials were unequal lengths of pinewood.
The working system was operated without a rehearsal, and enhanced the work’s potential for disarray.
THE SCORE
“TIME-RACING (RECONFIGURED)”
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Two types of scores were built into this performance: one was a determinate operation of the score, and the other was indeterminate of its performance.
For the first type, the I Ching chart was used to determine the combination between actions and objects given to Spiros, Ardi, and Tamsin. The varied durations specific to each activity was determined by throwing die. However, it was up to the performers how many of these activities to choose from.
The second score was indeterminate of its performance because Bianca and Michael were only given minimal instruction.
1st score:
Verbs Objects Durations
To roll guitar 2 mins
To wedge window glass indefinite
To roll table indefinite
To wedge plinth 2 mins
To prop 3 panels of mdf/
plaster-boards 6 mins
To roll 6 chairs indefinite
To drink water indefinite
To sand plinth indefinite
To drag plinth 6 mins
To prop the wall 2 mins
To throw plinth indefinite
To prop glass 1 min
At any time between 2.30 - 2.40pm, Spiros would have started and finished his part according to the activities and the duration specific to each of the activities that he chose.
At any time between 2.20 - 2.30pm, Ardi would have started and finished his part according to the activities and the duration specific to each of the activities that he chose.
At any time between 2.20 - 2.50pm, Tamsin would have started and finished her part according to the activities and the duration specific to each of the activities that she chose.
2nd score:
Bianca was asked to contribute 1 to 32 objects (either found or made) which were to be placed or installed into the exhibition room, effective between 1-4pm.
Michael was given 2 choices to choose from (either one or both), and was to be enacted during the performance of “Time-Racing (reconfigured)”:
The first choice involved a time-length of ‘20 minutes’ from which Michael had the freedom to do 'anything at all' within this brief sequence. At anytime between 2-3pm, Michael would have started and finished his contribution
The second choice involved a contribution of ‘2 matters’ which was to be placed, interpreted, performed, or installed in the exhibition room, and effective between 2-3pm.
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"WALKING EXERCISE: MATERIAL CONSTELLATION"
Procedure #1:
1.1
Each walker will picked up two hand-size objects from the store room of the gallery, and then place one of these objects onto the floor wherever they decide to stand as their point of departure
1.2
When the timer says ‘walk!’ the walkers will walk freely in any direction in respond to the situation of the main gallery. The walking pace can be either very slow or very fast, but not running.
1.3 (only applicable to the Timer)
The timer is required to time these walks while filming the process. Only the timer has been given a set of variable timelines prior to this exercise. So the walkers will not be able to predict the duration of their walk.
1.4
When the timer says ‘stop!’ the walkers should stop moving.
1.5
The walkers are asked to mark their arrival point with the second object they picked up at the start of the movement, which they have been carrying whilst walking.
1.6
From the stock of materials provided the walkers select lengths of wood to connect the position between the two objects, longer for the long distance points and shorter for short distance points.
1.7
The woods should be placed next to or in-between the two objects — previously located by the walkers. In this way, the placement of the wood becomes the connecting line between the departure and the arrival points of the walkers.
Procedure #2:
2.1
Stand next to one end of the wood, and then, pick the wood up and raised it vertically. When the timer says; ‘Walk!’ walk with the up-right wood around the room, standing still when the timer says ‘stop!’
2.2
The area in which the walkers stop will determine the area of the structure.
The walkers are asked to rest the bottom end of the wood on the floor.
2.3
Hold the wood in this position. Release the wood from the hand that grab after 1 or 2 seconds. Analyze which direction the wood is going to fall.
2.4
Prop the top end of the wood against the supporting wall or column nearest to you based on the direction of the fall. If you encounter no support at all, please grab an object close to you for its support. If it is not stable, please balance it precariously.
Note: If you are feeling confused about this instruction, don’t ask. But, please look at how the others do it and learn from them. Please do not redo or edit your action.
Procedure #3:
3.1
The walkers are asked to repeat Procedure #1
3.2
The walkers are asked to repeat task #2.1, #2.2
Skip task #2.3 & #2.4
3.3
Please, lean the top end of the wood towards the nearest props available from previous task as the support, very gently. Find the fulcrum point, so it doesn’t fall. If it doesn’t want to stay there, just let it falls on the floor. And leave it at that point.
Note: After procedure #3 is completed. The role of the Timer will be rotated.
Procedure #4:
4.1
Loop all the procedures based on the following chronology:
· Procedure #3
· Procedure #1
· Procedure #2
Break (rotate the role of the Timer)
· Procedure #3
· Procedure #1
· Procedure #2
Break (rotate the role of the timer)
· Procedure #3
· Procedure #1
· Procedure #2
4.2
We will end the project when the provided materials are all been used.
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TIMER
· Always count from 1.
· Stop the walking activities in-between these ‘voided’ seconds:
Procedure # 1: [6 12 18 24]
Procedure # 2: [30 36] Procedure # 3: [42 48 54 60]
· Count in your head (doesn’t have to be exact)
· When you say ‘walk!’—film the process of walking. When you say ‘stop!’—stop filming. In this way, the documentation of the project will edit itself.
