Tuesday, January 31, 2012

3020 LAGUNA IN EXITUM site specific project, San Francisco, curated by Amir Mortazavi of M-Projects

3020 LAGUNA IN EXITUM, curated by Amir Mortazavi differs from a standard group show, which usually involves several artists whose work falls within a curatorial concept, to be viewed in one place, such as a gallery for instance. Instead, this show is a collaboration in which several artists augment a singular home that is under construction in order to create work in-situ. The work of Gordon Matta-Clark comes to mind.

Gordon Matta-Clark, Conical Intersect, Paris, 1975.


At 3023 LAGUNA IN EXITUM , the place becomes the art form, after which the "work" done there, and to it, also becomes the location for viewing the project.

For this project, there are several instances of fragmentation, which create negative space: only to reveal new ephemeral spaces of light and disjointed remnants of domestic desire and routine history within. Below is Andy Vogt's installation that involved slicing and reassembling the floor.


The edge of Vogt's piece leads to a space open to the elements, the floor ending at a sharp drop off to the ground below.


Fracturing the space throughout, there are beautiful moments within the discard, the reconstitution and the deconstruction of this Cow Hollow address.





During deconstruction, and amidst the clamor that took place over the course of several weeks, the neighborly curiosity of two small children who lived next-door gained momentum. Curious of the noises as the days went on, they could not wait to attend the opening reception with little plastic hammers in hand, ready to demolish and help with the demise (or the unbeknownst) reconstruction of the place. Seeing these tots wandering the partitions with curious looks, holding their little plastic hammers - ready - I forgot a lot about whatever was bugging me that day. I wondered about the negative space that is embedded in the innocence we lose as we get older. How often I want to just f* sh*t up with a hammer - even with the most helpful intentions. Ultimately, well, it's just not what reasonable grown-ups do . . . onward. . .

Down I went to what people were calling the basement -- but really it was the garage at one point. Not today. Behold, a pool of water nesting in thick black plastic sheeting - rafters and beams slanted here and there, placed along the edge of a man-made pond. One could wonder if this is the aftermath of a possible flood that occurred due to a plumber's poor planning error. On the other hand, it resembled a Roman bath, the planks enjoying the afterglow of nature's possible performance in their habitat.



Miss Door, dipped into the water to cool her heels - she had had enough of keeping people out and letting them in. Her distance between them always in periphery. Her hand, always taken and turned - either way, she was always the same to them, just inverted depending on which way the person was going. It is strange being in a constant state of limbo.


In all - the address - the house that once was is in a suspended state of progress within progress in order to be demolished in the near future. It will be gone - negated, replaced by something grand and monumental...better? Regardless, it's purpose as a place will always be, no matter what form it takes.






Curated by Amir Mortazavi and David Kasprzak.
Artists are: Jeremiah Barber, Randy Colosky, Chris Fraser, Christine Peterson, Yulia Pinkusevich, Jonathan Runcio, Jesse Schlesinger, Gareth Spor and Andy Vogt.