Working for Change: Project for the Moroccan Pavilion
Curator: Abdellah Karroum
Artist: Multiple participants
Venue: Spazio Punch, Ex Birrerie, Giudecca Island
Think back to the last politically or socially-orientated art exhibition you last saw. Perhaps you stopped by once, soaked in the atmosphere and left. Perhaps you visited on multiple occasions and discovered every last metaphor and subtext. But then the exhibition ends. The work is packed up, possibly sold, and the expressive or motivating impulses are paralysed; limited by the boundaries of conventional exhibition schedules.
That is not Working for Change. Instead this project, present at the Venice Biennale via Morocco, has sufficient momentum to ensure that its subject – artistic production within changing societies – will continue to be tackled long after leaving its temporary home. As Abdellah Karroum (curator) explains, there is no beginning, middle or end to this project: it is not a spectacle to be produced, exhibited and then discarded. Working on the foundations of his ongoing project l’appartement22, Karroum designed this project to both benefit the artists selected, all of whom engage with the position of art in society, and to propose a new method for working with artists within the Biennale context. And while the 2011 ‘Arab Spring’ may have formed the immediate context for Working for Change, it is clear from the outset that politics is not the only concern of these artists.
Rather than curate a traditional exhibition, Karroum instead invited artists to ‘occupy’ the space, working on table to discuss and potentially produce new work. This combination of research and production is a key aspect of the project, and is the first signifier that it has more potential than any finite exhibition. Resembling more a coordination office than a gallery or exhibition space, the Spazio Punch is filled with desks, not white walls and empty floor space. Some artists have already departed, leaving only traces behind, while others remain and some have yet to come: this tactic alone ensures the forward motion of the project.
An early occupant was Younès Rahmoun, a Moroccan artist, whose work Khamsa (Five) follows the artist’s attempt to form geometrical shapes from five wooden sticks, a reference to the five-branch star of Morocco. As such, the work acts as metaphor for the current political turmoil, by finding new configurations from old elements. However, through Rahmoun’s incorporation of the camera – the artist views his work from the lens and therefore creates hesitations – it also references the media’s involvement in societal changes. Furthermore, the video performance is accessible on the project website, allowing for a continual exposition and influence capable of extending the work infinitely beyond its initial performance in Venice.
A more practical approach has been taken by Tomas Colaço, a Portuguese artist, who has been present from the outset. Using a painting he brought to cover an old mattress and provide the artists and curators with a sofa, Colaço has adapted his existing work to the project. This is also reflected in his integration with the neighbours around the Spazio Punch, who are teaching him organic gardening and involving him in their community. This connection has already reaped benefits, assisting another artist with her project: setting up a living ‘still life’ for the opening night which was then consumed and destroyed, again linking art, community and life. In both these cases, art itself has been used to further the project in some form, be it the sustenance or comfort of those involved, again ensuring a forward momentum.
On the other hand, Doa Aly’s contribution is more theoretical. An Egyptian artist, the political uprisings in her country led her to consider how artists could function and contribute to a new system. Unsure of the questions that needed to be addressed, she compiled a list of questions written by others, contributing a selection instead of a visual piece. Once more, momentum is suggested through this bibliographic gesture, as while answers are not initially provided, the compilation of a list stimulates the search for the solutions, and ensures its continual relevance.
Another artist ‘present’ is Karim Rafi, a sound artist and poet. Unable to come physically to the Biennale, Rafi maintains a constant digital link to the project, emailing an image and/or text every day which is placed on the desk he chose for Venice. By setting up his own proxy desk in Casablanca and sending communications each day, Rafi has enacts a performance that relies on participation in a digital sense, therefore mimicking the media’s effects within society. Through this method, Rafi overcomes spatial distance to maintain a proximity to the project, while also highlighting a key aspect of life in the digital age: social interaction via digital surrogates. This performative work again may continue indefinitely, reliant only on access to an internet connection.
This reliance on digital media is also reflected in the general ethos of Working for Change, which strives to maintain connections with both the Biennale and the outside world. Karroum has insisted upon dialogue with pavilions facing political and societal changes, including China and Egypt. The discussions are also filmed and put online, ensuring that Working for Change is both capable of fostering new dialogue within the Biennale, and making this accessible in a larger context. This act similarly allows Karroum to investigate the position of art within both the Biennale and the national country, with the discussions highlighting any discrepancies between the two. Furthermore, satellite television broadcasts BBC and Al-Jazeera in the project space, allowing the artists and curators to keep up-to-date. As Karroum suggests, today the media moves faster than art: the inclusion of the television therefore narrows this gap, helping Working for Change remain connected to world events, and potentially reflect them instantly.
Working for Change then certainly fulfils its title. Instead of a singular exposition, the momentum of this exhibition ensures its efficacy as an active movement, considering both the position of art in society, and suggesting a way for art to directly affect that society – by being intrinsically linked to it. Each artist reflects an area of the interaction of art and society, and their staggered occupation of the Biennale and the extension in Rabat that will occur later prevents any stagnation of the project. Furthermore, the project’s presence online, continually accessible, means the work being done here will remain influential outside the temporal limits of a fixed-term exhibition. Tied directly to Karroum’s conviction that today’s political scenarios are linked to the activist work of artists, Working for Change is symptomatic of a longer-term commitment to art as social change.
Think back to the last socially-responsible art exhibition you saw. Now consider the example of Working for Change. Which do you think will be the most influential?
Jen Owen
Working for Change: Project for the Moroccan Pavilion
Curator: Abdellah Karroum
Artist: Multiple participants
Venue: Spazio Punch, Ex Birrerie, Giudecca Island
Think back to the last politically or socially-orientated art exhibition you last saw. Perhaps you stopped by once, soaked in the atmosphere and left. Perhaps you visited on multiple occasions and discovered every last metaphor and subtext. But then the exhibition ends. The work is packed up, possibly sold, and the expressive or motivating impulses are paralysed; limited by the boundaries of conventional exhibition schedules.
That is not Working for Change. Instead this project, present at the Venice Biennale via Morocco, has sufficient momentum to ensure that its subject – artistic production within changing societies – will continue to be tackled long after leaving its temporary home. As Abdellah Karroum (curator) explains, there is no beginning, middle or end to this project: it is not a spectacle to be produced, exhibited and then discarded. Working on the foundations of his ongoing project l’appartement22, Karroum designed this project to both benefit the artists selected, all of whom engage with the position of art in society, and to propose a new method for working with artists within the Biennale context. And while the 2011 ‘Arab Spring’ may have formed the immediate context for Working for Change, it is clear from the outset that politics is not the only concern of these artists.
Rather than curate a traditional exhibition, Karroum instead invited artists to ‘occupy’ the space, working on table to discuss and potentially produce new work. This combination of research and production is a key aspect of the project, and is the first signifier that it has more potential than any finite exhibition. Resembling more a coordination office than a gallery or exhibition space, the Spazio Punch is filled with desks, not white walls and empty floor space. Some artists have already departed, leaving only traces behind, while others remain and some have yet to come: this tactic alone ensures the forward motion of the project.
An early occupant was Younès Rahmoun, a Moroccan artist, whose work Khamsa (Five) follows the artist’s attempt to form geometrical shapes from five wooden sticks, a reference to the five-branch star of Morocco. As such, the work acts as metaphor for the current political turmoil, by finding new configurations from old elements. However, through Rahmoun’s incorporation of the camera – the artist views his work from the lens and therefore creates hesitations – it also references the media’s involvement in societal changes. Furthermore, the video performance is accessible on the project website, allowing for a continual exposition and influence capable of extending the work infinitely beyond its initial performance in Venice.
A more practical approach has been taken by Tomas Colaço, a Portuguese artist, who has been present from the outset. Using a painting he brought to cover an old mattress and provide the artists and curators with a sofa, Colaço has adapted his existing work to the project. This is also reflected in his integration with the neighbours around the Spazio Punch, who are teaching him organic gardening and involving him in their community. This connection has already reaped benefits, assisting another artist with her project: setting up a living ‘still life’ for the opening night which was then consumed and destroyed, again linking art, community and life. In both these cases, art itself has been used to further the project in some form, be it the sustenance or comfort of those involved, again ensuring a forward momentum.
On the other hand, Doa Aly’s contribution is more theoretical. An Egyptian artist, the political uprisings in her country led her to consider how artists could function and contribute to a new system. Unsure of the questions that needed to be addressed, she compiled a list of questions written by others, contributing a selection instead of a visual piece. Once more, momentum is suggested through this bibliographic gesture, as while answers are not initially provided, the compilation of a list stimulates the search for the solutions, and ensures its continual relevance.
Another artist ‘present’ is Karim Rafi, a sound artist and poet. Unable to come physically to the Biennale, Rafi maintains a constant digital link to the project, emailing an image and/or text every day which is placed on the desk he chose for Venice. By setting up his own proxy desk in Casablanca and sending communications each day, Rafi has enacts a performance that relies on participation in a digital sense, therefore mimicking the media’s effects within society. Through this method, Rafi overcomes spatial distance to maintain a proximity to the project, while also highlighting a key aspect of life in the digital age: social interaction via digital surrogates. This performative work again may continue indefinitely, reliant only on access to an internet connection.
This reliance on digital media is also reflected in the general ethos of Working for Change, which strives to maintain connections with both the Biennale and the outside world. Karroum has insisted upon dialogue with pavilions facing political and societal changes, including China and Egypt. The discussions are also filmed and put online, ensuring that Working for Change is both capable of fostering new dialogue within the Biennale, and making this accessible in a larger context. This act similarly allows Karroum to investigate the position of art within both the Biennale and the national country, with the discussions highlighting any discrepancies between the two. Furthermore, satellite television broadcasts BBC and Al-Jazeera in the project space, allowing the artists and curators to keep up-to-date. As Karroum suggests, today the media moves faster than art: the inclusion of the television therefore narrows this gap, helping Working for Change remain connected to world events, and potentially reflect them instantly.
Working for Change then certainly fulfils its title. Instead of a singular exposition, the momentum of this exhibition ensures its efficacy as an active movement, considering both the position of art in society, and suggesting a way for art to directly affect that society – by being intrinsically linked to it. Each artist reflects an area of the interaction of art and society, and their staggered occupation of the Biennale and the extension in Rabat that will occur later prevents any stagnation of the project. Furthermore, the project’s presence online, continually accessible, means the work being done here will remain influential outside the temporal limits of a fixed-term exhibition. Tied directly to Karroum’s conviction that today’s political scenarios are linked to the activist work of artists, Working for Change is symptomatic of a longer-term commitment to art as social change.
Think back to the last socially-responsible art exhibition you saw. Now consider the example of Working for Change. Which do you think will be the most influential?
Jen Owen
Posted 1 year ago & Filed under Working for Change: Project for the Moroccan Pavilion, Abdellah Karroum, Venice Biennale, LINE magazine, Line, Morocco, 1 note
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