Endless Installation: A Ghost Story For Adults...
Transcript of Endless Installation: A Ghost Story For Adults...
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EndlessInstallation:AGhostStoryForAdults
CHARACTERS(inorderofappearance):
TheBoxman
TheFather
TheManager
RolandBarthes
AbyWarburg
MeirAgassi
WalterBenjamin
FrederickKiesler
Doctor
JuhaniPallasmaa
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THEENTRANCE
TheBoxman.Thisisatale,ofcourse.Thisstoryisinactoftakingplace.Sinceyouhearityou
havetheobligationofbeingoneofthecastofcharacters.
TheManager.Verywell,--butwheredoesallthistakeus?
The Father. Nowhere! It ismerely to show you that one is born to life inmany forms, inmany
shapes.Soonemayalsobebornacharacterinaplay.
(break)
The Father.Hewhohashadthelucktobebornacharactercanlaughevenatdeath.Hecannot
die.
(break)
The Father.Hewhohashadthelucktobebornacharactercanlaughevenatdeath.Hecannot
die.
(break)
TheManager.Andwhereisthe"book"?
TheFather.Itisinus!Thedramaisinus,andwearethedrama.Weareimpatienttoplayit.Our
innerpassiondrivesusontothis.
(break)
TheBoxman.Thisistherecordofaboxman.Iambeginningthisaccountinabox.Acardboard
boxthatreachesjusttomyhipswhenIputitonovermyhead.Thatistosay,atthisjuncturethebox
manisme.
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Insteadofleavingthebox,Ishallenclosetheworldwithinit.Thespacethatwassupposedtobea
roomhadchangedintoanalleyway…IfItriedtakinganotherstepfurther,whatwouldhappen?Iwas
curious.
Ofcourse,onlyoneofthethreeofusreallyexists.Theonewhoiscontinuingtowritethesenotes.
Everythingthathashappenedismerelythemonologueofthatsomeone...
(break)
TheBoxman.Sinceyouhavecometothisroomyouseammotionless.JustasIlookforsignsof
youontheothersideofthedoor,soyoutoolookforsignsofme.
The streets of this city have no names. The spaces that compose it in detail are unnamed.
Domiciliation issustainedbyonabstraction.Youmustorientyourself in itbywalking,bysight,by
habit.
Barthes.Youmustorientyourselfinitbywalking,bysight,byhabit.
Warburg.Theimagesandwordsoughttobeahelptothosewhocomeafterus.
Barthes. Here every discovery is intense and fragile; it can be repeated or recovered only by
memoryofthetraceitleftinyou.Tovisitaplaceforthefirsttimeistherebytobegintowriteit.
The Box man. If thiswas thestartingpoint,wouldwebesuccessful commencingalloveragain
fromthebeginning?
Ofcourse,itshouldbepossibletostartoveragainanynumberoftimes.
Ofcourse,itshouldbepossibletostartoveragainanynumberoftimes.
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JUNCTURE1
TRACK1-what isanart ist?
The Boxman. Awentstealthilyout intothestreetswiththeboxoverhishead.Anddidn’tcome
back.
Once a day Iwould put on the box and go out into the town.Wandering about the streets like a
transparentperson,Iwouldgoaroundcollecting.
Agassi.Asyoucansee,Iaminterestedinthequalityofaccumulation,ofrepresentingagroupof
things…Storing,categorizing,…arrangingandre-arranging...
TheBoxman.OnceadayIwouldputontheboxandgooutintothetown.Wanderingaboutthe
streetslikeatransparentperson,Iwouldgoaroundcollecting.
Iwouldgoaroundcollecting.
TheBoxman.Ifyoupaynoattentiontoaboxman,heisjustlikewindordust.
….............................................
Warburg.Beneath thedark flutterof thegriffon’swingswedream –betweengrippingandbeing
gripped–theconceptofconsciousness.
Agassi.IliketheideathatIcanamuseordisappointmyselfwithoutbeingdistractedbythedesire,
or theneed tocreate thiseternalmonster…’amasterpiece’...or toobey theautocraticneed for ‘a
statement’.
The Box man. In processing thebox themost important thing in all events is to ensure leaving
plentyofblankspaceforscribbling.
Warburg.Ihaddevelopedadownrightdisgustwithaestheticizingarthistory.
The Box man.Hespends thegreaterpartof theday just readingand listening tonews…he is
unabletoseparatehimselffromtheradioortelevision.
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Benjamin.Herewehaveamanwhosejobitistogathertheday’srefuseinthecapital.Everything
thatthebigcityhasthrownaway,everythingithaslost,everythingithasscorned,andeverythingit
hascrushedunderfoothecataloguesandcollects.
Kiesler. We must not forget that the artist-creator can never be extraterritorial. His territory will
alwaysremainhislifeexperience.Allartis,ofcourse,onlyanabstractionofwhatexists.
….............................................
Kiesler.Artistsarebornunequal.Iamlittle,fivefeetoneinchandmanyofyououttherearesix-foot
one and no technique can stretchme to six foot. A rock cannot become amountain, and a frog
cannotblowhimselfupandbecomeaswan.
Arewenoteducatingpeopletofalseambitionsinlifeandart?
Andplantinginthemtheseedsofunbearablefrustration?
Warburg. I let the signs that I receive comeout ofme, because in this epochof chaotic decline
eventheweakesthasthedutytostrengthenthewilltocosmicorder.
TheBoxman.Ifaghostissomethingthatisnotvisible,aboxmanisjusttheopposite.
The Box man.The reason theworld ignores theboxman isbecausenobodyunderstandwho’s
insidethebox.
Kiesler.Natureissorich,socompactandsocondensedthateachinnermostparticlewouldopen
anendlessworld tous ifwehadstrongenough lenses inoureyesandenoughcells inour frontal
lobestoseeandgraspit.Wedon’t-butartistspresentusthatworldoutright.
Doctor.Hepracticesacultwiththemothsandbutterfliesthatflyintohisroomatnight.Hespeaks
tothemforhours.Hecallsthemhislittlesoulanimalsandtellsthemabouthissuffering.Herecounts
theoutbreakofhisillnesstoamoth.
TheBoxman.Aboxmanlivedaharmlessexistence.
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Warburg. ThemostbeautifulbutterflyIhaveeverpinneddownsuddenlyburststhroughtheglass
anddancesmockinglyupwardsintotheblueair…NowIshouldcatchitagain,butIamnotequipped
forthiskindoflocomotion.Ortobeexact,Ishouldlikebutmyintellectualtrainingdoesnotpermitme
todoso...
TheBoxman.Aboxmanlivedaharmlessexistence.
….............................................
Agassi.Andthethinkingrelatestothispersistingcrisisaboutmyidentityasanartistasawhole,my
joyfulbutpainfuldiversityasanartist.
Ikeeptellingmyselfthatitisallaprocessoflearning.Isn’tit?
Howtomakefromallthecomponents,fragments,patches,OneThing…
Maybeinsteadofseeingmyself'officially'asoneartist,Ishoulddeclaremyselfasmanyartists,with
manynames.Whynot?
Kiesler. Mymaking several units of paintings, galaxies, separated from one another at different
intervals,isanattempttomakepaintingnotanillusionofreality,butreal.Itisanti-artandpro-life.
Agassi. Thoseideasof‘dealingwithgroupofimages’,or‘sequencewitharhythm’appealstome
verymuch.
Warburg.Idonotwantmypresentationofimagestobetakenasresultsofasupposedlysuperior
knowledgeorscience.Rather,theyarethedesperateconfessionsofsomeoneseekingredemption.
TheBoxman.SomanytimesIhavethoughthowIwouldliketostripoffmyownskinincludingthe
boxthewayonepeelsofftheskinofafig.
Agassi. You ask me what I meant by saying that “I am disturbed and on the brink of mental
disaster”?MaybeoneoftheproblemsisthatI justknowtoomuchaboutart...ForasfarbackasI
canrememberIkeptdoubtingmyself.
Thisisinnowaytosuggestthatmyfailuretogetfromthefringetothecentreisanyone'sfaultbut
myown.Thetruthis,Ineverreallyfeltconfidentaboutshowingmywork.
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The Boxman.Thereisnoneedtoclaimthatyouaretheauthorofthesenotes.Becausethere’s
absolutelynoproblemeveniftheauthorissomeoneotherthanyourself.
Agassi.Maybe, insteadofseeingmyself 'officially'asoneartist, IshoulddeclaremyselfasMany
Artists,withmanynames, I could inventartists, give themnames,biographies,myths, signatures,
etc.Whynot?
Warburg.InmyhealthytimeIneverwouldhavedaredtosaysomethingscholarlyaboutit.
The Box man. A boxmanhas experience that only a boxman can talk about, adventures that
applytohimalone,thatafakeboxmancannevertell.
Agassi.Butthisstilldoesnotreleasemefromthedeepburdenoffailure.Itdoesnothelptoknow
thatwesharethesameexperience.
….............................................
TheBoxman.WhenandhowdidIgettothispoint?
Packingoneselfupasabaggageandwalkingaboutisaninsulttotheworldandgoesbeyondjust
strangebehaviour.
Youshouldbeabletoignoremetooifyouwantto.
Howinheaven’snamehadBoxmanmethisend?
Benjamin.IknowofnoothercityexceptMoscowwherethestatewouldpayforawriter'sroom–
afterall,thehotelsarerunbytheSoviet.
Kiesler.Heso-calledartistmust learnonlyonething inorder tobecreative:not toresisthimself,
buttoresist,withoutexceptioneveryfactorthatpreventshimfrombeinghimself.
Warburg.Sometimes it looks tome as if, inmy role as psycho-historian, I tried to diagnose the
schizophreniaofwesterncivilizationfromitsimagesinanautobiographicalreflex...
TheBoxman.Ifyoupaynoattentiontoaboxman,heisjustlikewindordust.
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Kiesler.Theartistisneverofhistime.Heisalwaysagainsthistime.Ifhewouldbeonlyofhistime,
heisalreadydead.
Werunoutoftime,andtimerunsoutonus.
May everybody to his dying days learn how to enjoy art, but for heaven’s sake lets stop
manufacturingartists.
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TRACK2
Agassi.Thisworktakestheformofabox…asanarchive.
The Box man.Actuallyabox, inappearance, ispurelyandsimplya right-angledparallelepiped,
butwhenyoulookatitfromwithinit’salabyrinthofhundredinterconnectingpuzzlerings.
Agassi.HanoverMerzbau–CathedralofEroticMisery–containsallthesecontradictingelements,
whichalwaysfascinatedmeinart:collectionofready-mades,collectingtheeverydayaswellasthe
bizarre, fantastic-fetishist objects. Itwas, as awhole, like a big, exposed set-piece of its creator's
mind.
Warburg.Theuniverseperceivedintheformofahouse...
Pallasmaa.Wecandreamandsenseourbeingoutdoors,butweneedthearchitecturalgeometry
ofaroomtothinkclearly.Thegeometryofthoughtechoesthegeometryoftheroom.
Agassi.Thiscouldimplythathoweverdiverseanddifferenttheworkis,itcanhavetheunityofthe
umbrella of themuseum'smental space. As in Kurt Schwitters'Merz – Hanover Merzbau -work
could be titled under the caption “Work from theMeir AgassiMuseum” or any other permutation.
Fromnowoneverythingwouldhappeninsidetheboundariesofthismuseumandeverythingwould
beapiece,aproductofit.
Pallasmaa. The window has lost its significance as a mediator between two worlds, between
enclosedandopen,interiorityandexteriority,privateandpublic,shadowandlight.Thewindowhas
turnedintoamereabsenceofthewall.
Kiesler.Itwouldbebetter,morehonest,ifweclosedthemuseumsandeventuallygavealltheart
backtowhereitcamefrom.
Wecoulddisperse theworks tocommunitybuildingsandhomes– largepaintings to largehomes,
smallerpaintingstosmallerhouses.Andtheyshouldalsobebroughttothehomesofthepoor.
Weoutsiderscouldthengoandvisitthepaintingsandsculpturesofthememorablepastandofour
timeinprivatehomes,gardens,courtyards,rooftopsandbasements.
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We shall have tea with those who cherish them, talk about them, enjoy them, linger in the past,
speakaboutthefutureandperhapsenjoythepresent.
TheBoxman.Whenonecannotavoidbeingseenitiscommonsensetodemandcompensation.
Anybodywouldratherlookthanbelookedat.
Warburg.Themorewesee,themorewemustbeabletoaddbythinking.Themoreweaddthere
tothinking,somuchthemorewecanbelieveourselvestosee.
Pallasmaa. Architecture is the art of reconciliation between ourselves and the world, and this
mediationtakeplacethroughthesenses.
Kiesler.Howthingsholdtogetherisquitemiraculous.It'stoostrangeforushumanstounderstand
thewaymoleculesclick,cellsdividewithoutlosingholdofeachother.
Webuildbymakingjointsafterjoints.Nailsforwood.Boltsforiron.Weldingforsteel.Friendshiphas
invisibletiesasstrongasiron.Theyshakehandswitheachotherwithouttouching.
Paalasmaa. We are rooted in the continuity of time; in the man-made world it is the task of
architecturetofacilitatethisexperience.
Kiesler.Thebindingforcebetweenartandlifeisthecohesivestrengthofthepersonality.Thisforce
isinexplicable.Itmustbelivedtobeunderstood.
Pallasmaa. Architecture is understoodandappreciated through its echoasmuchas through its
visualshape.
TheBoxman.Ihearthattheboxisindeedadangeroussourceofblue.
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EndlessInstallation:AGhostStoryForAdultsPublicSpaceWithARoofMarch21–April262009,SMARTProjectSpace,AmsterdamTheScriptComposedbyMajaNovakwiththequotesfromAbe,Kobo:TheBoxMan;Agassi,Meir:TheMeirAgassiMuseum;Barthes,Roland:ImageMusicText;Barthes,Roland:EmpireoftheSigns;Benjamin,Walter:LettersfromtheWalterBenjamin’sArchive;Gombrich,Ernst:IntellectualBiography;Kiesler,Frederick:SelectedWritings;Kiesler,Frederick:InsidetheEndlessHouse;Kiesler,Frederick:EndlessSpace;Michaud,Philippe-Alain:AbyWarburgandtheImageinMotion;Pallasmaa,Juhani:TheEyesoftheSkin;Pirandello,Luigi:SixCharactersinSearchofanAuthorTheCastTheBoxman:SanderBlom;TheFather:VesnaMadzoski;TheManager:AdiHollander;RolandBarthes:HenryVega;AbyWarburg:ZhanaIvanova;MeirAgassi:SamuelVriezen;WalterBenjamin:HenryVega;FrederickKiesler:AyaletHarpazDoctor:HenryVega;JuhaniPallasmaa:HenryVegaRecordedat:STEIM,AmsterdamSMARTProjectSpaceisgenerouslysupportedby:MondriaanFoundation;GemeenteAmsterdam;BureauBroedplaatsen;StichtingDOEN;TheNetherlandsFilmFund;PrinsBernhardCultuurfonds;VSBfonds.Theexhibition‘EndlessInstallation:AGhostStoryforAdults’isfurthersupportedby:AmsterdamFundfortheArts;TheNetherlandsFoundationforVisualArts,DesignandArchitecture;GoetheInstitute;EmbassyofIsrael;DeAppelArtsCenter;Pregis;RedA.i.R;JanvanEyckAcademie;STEIM;AustrianFrederickandLillianKieslerPrivateFoundation;TheMuseumofArtEinHarod;IsstaDirect;Argos,Brussels.
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Photocredits:
p.11TheBoxMan,KoboAbep.12Artist’sbook,MeirAgassiFromthecollectionoftheWarburgInstitute,Londonp.13Artist’sbook,MeirAgassiSketchfortheArtoftheCentury,FrederickKieslerp.14TheIncredulityofSaintThomas,Caravaggio,1602p.15SketchfortheArtoftheCentury,FrederickKieslerTheTriangle,WalterBenjaminp.16Correalism,FrederickKieslerp.17Correspondence:MoKremer,DavidStrauss,SusanLipski,MeirAgassiMuseumCorrespondence:MoKremer,DavidStrauss,SusanLipski,MeirAgassiMuseump.18AbyWarburgandImageinMotion,Phillippe-AlainMichaudp.19MnemosyneAtlas,PanelC,AbyWarburgp.20TheMuseumMap,MeirAgassip.21Cities,Atlas,GerhardRichterSketchforCalledesuperstition,FrederickKieslerp.22TheMemoryTheatrebyGulioCamillo,TheArtofMemory,F.A.YatesFromthecollectionoftheWarburgInstitute,Londonp.23Correalism,FrederickKieslerBunrakupuppetdollandhowthreepuppeteersattendasingledoll,TheSocietyforInternationalCulturalRelations,Tokyo,1935p.24Passage,SaburoMurakami,MovingImage,Phillippe-AlainMichaudVision,F.Kieslerp.25Studiesfromaminiaturemultiples,SouvenirsfromMeirAgassiMuseumCorrespondence:MoKremer,DavidStrauss,SusanLipski,MeirAgassiMuseump.26Homelessinthecity,JapanQuote,Lyla,M.AgassiThecaseoftheLostLifeandWorkofMoKremer(1920–1993),MeirAgassiMuseump.27Self-portrait,MeirAgassiAbyWarburgandaHopiIndian,WarburgInstitute,London
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p.28TheBoxMan,KoboAbep.29FrederickKiesler,AustrianFrederickandLillianKieslerPrivateFoundationp.30Vertigo(1958),AlfredHitchcockAnatomicalTheatre,WarburgInstitute,Londonp.3113.Forests,MagicArchitecture,FrederickKieslerTheTrial(1962),OrsonWellesp.32EmpireofSigns,RolandBarthesHomeTheatrebackstage,TheNetherlandsTheatreInstitutep.33Gestures,Imageconstellation,WarburgInstitute,Londonp.34Merzbau:TheCathedralofEroticMisery,KurtSchwittersp.35Perception,FrederickKieslerp.36HerbertBayer,TheLonelyMetropolitan