Posts Tagged ‘utopia’

Corporate visions of the future

What to tell the visitor? Should I present him or her with my analysis of the videos or with descriptions from the artists? How much should I justify the curation of the exhibition? How much should he be free to discover his own interpretation of the videos and how much guidance does he need?

I decided for this exhibition to only display a short introduction to the theme of the exhibition and to let the artists introduce themselves their videos on short legends. The full description of the exhibition and its theme is on the internet for the visitors who want to know more.

The fact that the exhibition is advertised under the title ‘Dreams of Progress’ already modifies the perception that the visitors will have on the art works. Some of the artists didn’t even have this theme in mind when they made their video.  So, I wanted to equilibrate the exhibition by showing legends from artists themselves, so that visitors can understand the approach of the artist and have their own judgment on the connections between the videos and the theme of Progress.

I also reduced the introduction of the exhibition to an open, relatively short text in order to provide enough freedom for the public to make their own conclusions.  This came at a cost, some visitors did not recognise the connections that I thought were important between the videos. Although my studies on Utopia and Progress are implicitly used in the selection of the videos and the way I introduce the theme, it did not necessary challenge everyone’s perception on the subject. It is after all an elitist approach, giving the visitors a full description of all I intended to say would have been in a sense, more egalitarian, as everyone willing to spend time reading would have learned something. Relying on the capacity of the visitors to make their own analysis increases actually the gap between those having already ideas on the subject and those who don’t. That being said, you don’t need to know anything about Utopia and Progress to feel something looking at the videos. And again, my analysis is on the web, so anyone interested to learn more may do so.

One interesting question that emerged when writing the introduction of the exhibition was how to position the videos compared to literary masterpieces like Utopia by Thomas More or Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. I could have connected the videos to previous work and inscribed them in a history of thoughts on Utopia. But I was determined to put the videos at the centre of the stage, rather than any reference. Some  of the video artists have probably not read or seen the previous works on Utopia, but this doesn’t mean they haven’t been influenced indirectly by the impact that the original utopian authors had on culture. I decided thus to add some references in the introduction to acknowledge past works on Utopia but to not draw any causal connection between them and the videos displayed at the exhibition.

Next: Philosophical debate

Philosophical debate on Utopia and Progress

Usually, philosophical debates are organised around a specific question and maybe some philosophical texts. In this case, I wanted to organise a philosophical debate around some of the videos of the exhibition. I knew that the theme of Utopia and Progress was too vast to be completely discussed, so I considered the debate to be an introduction to the subject. The purpose of the debate was to introduce the main aspects around Utopia and Progress, show some great videos related to the theme, to inspire the audience and to get them thinking more about the subject.

Next: Children’s Art Day at the WRF

Everyone listening at the story of the second group.

The main challenge for the storyboarding workshop of the Children’s Art Day was to organise an activity children enjoy but to still convey what the exhibition is about. The Design for Dreaming video worked very well because it was made originally for a family audience and a lot of what is happening is accessible for kids. It remains that the video is an utopian vision on consumerism from the 60s that children don’t have much the occasion to see.

I wanted initially to include the use of the Windows Movie Player software in the workshop. But it wasn’t possible in an hour, and the main focus was to teach how to collaboratively invent a storyboard.

Next: Online exhibition

I decided for the online version of the exhibition to follow the same structure than on the physical exhibition and to make one page per screen, showing all the videos that were displayed on the screen and showing exactly the same legends. Showing one video per page would have probably deconstructed too much the exhibition and undermined the dialogue I wanted to generate between videos. Putting all videos on one page would have been too long to digest on a single web page.

I added a link on each page to my own analysis of the videos. This way, only the visitors willing to know more about my perception of the videos, at the risk of altering their own judgement, can see the information.

Next: Federate around the project

The curatorial practice is not only about setting up the theoretical framework of an exhibition, writing and selecting artefacts. It is also about federating people around a project they understand is beneficial for them. Dreams of Progress was my first exhibition, it gave me the opportunity to gain experience on every front:

• Getting the permissions from artists to display their work and getting additional material. Overall, I got the permission to use all the work I wanted to use but the artists’ responsiveness was really varied. Some were excited about the project and very supportive, some had to be reminded many times before delivering their part.

• Getting permission from Microsoft and Squint/opera. This was very easy and I got all the help I needed in obtaining the dvds. Utopian visions from corporations generate a lot of criticism in the public but corporations seemed to be very open to discussion. This experience made me less cynical about their views as they make the first move after all.

• Finding a venue, the Westminster Reference Library, and then a sponsor for some the video equipment, Westminster Arts.
• Marketing the exhibition by sending the press release to art websites (it was featured on www.artrabbit.com and www.criticalnetwork.co.uk), distributing flyers to venues around the exhibition, putting posters in the Library.
• Marketing the philosophical debate by contacting the philosophical groups in London, philosophical colleges, members of the library, putting the event on facebook, upcoming, eventful.

The video ‘To New Horizons’ from General Motors (1940) depicts a high-tech world where novelty, efficiency and order are the main measures of success. It doesn’t show any people but only mega-structures and highways. The video is especially interesting because General Motors has been bankrupted just few months ago, after 79 years of activity. Could this be because its vision for the future was wrong or because GM failed to deliver it? After viewing the video, both of these statements could be true. GM already attempted to address environmental concerns, promising cities where people could breath fresh air. Something they didn’t deliver. GM planned to group buildings within a city according to their functions (offices, homes, factories). Constructing cities in this way has led to social disruptions which have been difficult to heal. I would compare the video to ‘Utopia’ by Thomas More, because both utopias are highly planned and focussed on efficiency. They both respond to the need to distribute a limited amount of resource (agriculture, jobs, energy) to everyone. In a sense, they are closer to socialism than contemporary utopias, where third world and poverty are often omitted in the high-tech aspirations for the future. One contradiction to notice in the video is the praise of both novelty and efficiency. By nature, reaching efficiency is a stable equilibrium that doesn’t like novelty, as novelty requires adaptations. A perfectly efficient world doesn’t need novelty.

The “Century 21 Calling” from AT&T (1964) advocates technological progress but does so by depicting middle class people and their domestic problems. Progress in science is justified because it can improve standards of living. Belief in technology serves as a way to avoid challenging the social rules of the USA in the 60s, e.g. the condition of women. The assumption is that technology will resolve everything anyway.  The Bell System, a national switchboard can manage connections between phones which in turn saved consumers time, energy and made their life easier. The switchboard is likened to an electronic brain. The idea that consumerism and technology will solve all of our problem dates back from the industrial revolution. It was an idea that was already well established at the 1900 World Fair of Paris (see the book Dreams of Peace and Freedom by Jay Winter). Consumerism and technology underpin the values behind Walt Disney World, built at around the same time (see the book  Vinyl Leaves by Stephen M. Fjellman). The AT&T video looks like a propaganda movie; the characters conform to the ideal of what America should look like. The “Century 21 Calling” may or may not be propaganda. It might have been expressed spontaneously by those having no interest in changing American ideals, or by the people without enough courage to reconsider their social framework.

“Future of Cities” from the Danish Royal Academy of Architecture (squint/opera, 2007) introduces themes related to libertarian socialism, environmentalism and post-modernism. The future looks like a collage of seemingly independent communities from diverse ethnicities and  cultural backgrounds. Sustainability and nature are at the centre of their social projects. However, the multiform buildings covered with trees and grass are massive. They could not possibly be built by a small community. Life and apparent organic disorder is actually planned and optimised. The video gives somehow the impression that big corporations are necessary in this global network of small communities. It may or may not be true. The end of the video includes a biblical reference to Noah’s Ark; it is worth noting that religion and mythology are a great source of utopias. Take the garden of Eden and the Hindu mythology for example. The “Future of Cities” video was very controversial at the philosophical debate held during the exhibition. Some people felt that its message was closer to a ‘human’ utopia, others thought it was not that different from the other visions and that its humanity was only superficial. Someone also directed me to Transition Towns which is indeed directly connected to the “Future of Cities” vision.

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• Back to the videos
• Curation of the exhibition

The “Productivity Vision of 2019” by Microsoft (2009) showcases some telecom technologies as well, 49 years after the vision of At&T.  The format of the video is less patronising; the voice over was omitted and the characters are more subtle. But, has the message really changed? The video doesn’t pretend to be a vision for everyone. It focuses instead on the lives of wealthy upper class people. The productivity of low income workers in 2019 is never addressed. The video  doesn’t try to build new ideals; the 2019 world depicted by Microsoft is grey, globalized and driven by international corporations. My point is that a less directive vision of the future bears both pros and cons. Unlike its predecessors, this video does not attempt to impose ideals; but by not addressing wider issues, they become all the more prominent. The last scene of the video is on the top of a building filled with a garden. The woman is happy enjoying the simple pleasures of nature. But, not everyone can have a garden on the roof of a building in a highly populated city centre. No answer is given as a solution to the problem. Even more worrying, the managers showed on the video don’t seem to enjoy themselves that much. The woman looks at the life of her daughter with nostalgia. Her life seems to be very challenging and submerged by information. However, the Microsoft video encapsulate many contemporary ideals: the world seems to be in peace, as a consequence of economical globalisation probably; it is liberal, cosmopolitan, green and based on information.

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• Back to the video
• Curation of the exhibition

Discovery of Magnetic North by Richard Jerousek and Brian Phillips [2007] raises many questions. People and situations filmed are distant from the viewer; they fade away by the television effects, the music and the distant time from when they were shot. Characters have their own stories and emotions, but futuristic buildings and medical imaging are interfering. I have the feeling looking at the video that individuality is dissolved in technology and media. Or maybe is it the time passing by that dissolves the scenes from the 70s; and our attempt to remember them is altered  by the media and dreams of technology from back then. In both cases, the video plays with individuality, memory and technology.

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• Back to the video
• Curation of the exhibition

Mardi Gras by Keith Loutit [2009] is part of a series of videos that the artist made using a specific photographic technique. Everything seems small, like in a model city. People are merely figurines. However, Keith Loutit chose light hearted and positive scenes and soundtracks. Mardi Gras in Sydney can only inspire happiness, freedom and liveliness. But seeing it as if it was a model city shows that the event is actually fairly predictable. The public participated by their own choice and they probably enjoyed themselves. It does not make the event appear to be less orchestrated, as though it was part of a big figurine play. Is this an ideal, a planned, conditioned happiness? How much is happiness a sufficient condition for an utopist society? Brave New World* by Aldous Huxley surely proved it isn’t sufficient.

McCOOL!!! By Julian Roberts and Namalee Bolle [2007] is an episode of the series “Relentless optimism”. It is about McDonalds but is much more ambiguous than other videos, which usually present a negative picture of the fast food chain. In this video, the main character genuinely enjoys eating her Big Mac. This event is the story. She seems to have some ideals though; love is written on her hands. The world looks stressful and dark outside of the McDonalds. Inside, the music is light hearted and nobody disturbs the main character from enjoying  her meal. Only the viewer can decide if her pleasure should be embraced or discouraged; whether or not McDonalds restaurants are little places of heaven or symbols of dystopia. Consumerism is frequently attacked but still totally underpins how our society works. No other ideology has achieved the same level of dominance as consumerism.

Tokyo.Future by Ian Lynam [2007] proposes a scenario where the city becomes organic, a living being, after surviving another ice age, thousands of years of civilization and intergalactic exodus. Signs of human activity are visible at the beginning of the journey, but the city soon imposes itself as the main character. The viewer can then wonder if people are still living their own lives, or if they merely became the cells of a conscientious supra entity.  At the end of the movie, the city reaches its final destination on a green virgin planet next to a mountain, which is the same size of the planet. The city seems to recognize itself in nature and stops travelling. She takes her final rest.  Like previous videos in the exhibition, I have interpreted them as I see fit. All interpretations are open to debate. But what is sure is that the videos within the exhibition open the imagination. Tokyo.future goes beyond the few next decades and imagines what the ultimate destination of humanity will be.

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• Back to the videos
• Curation of the exhibition