a constructed world: unconditional regard
The best sort of openings are those that make no bones about their true social nature, that do not posture with lengthy speeches, thanks to sponsors and awkward viewings; basically they are the ones where you booze with friends and yack about art. It is later that you get to the heart of the work—over coffee, in bed, on a return visit. That is why I was glad when this invitation arrived in May: ‘a convivial gathering, bring everyone’. The event was an installation/performance by A Constructed World (ACW—Turin/ Melbourne based artists Geoff Lowe and Jacqueline Riva). And so I happily braved the cold and fronted to Gertrude Contemporary Art spaces, assuming an easy evening. It is what I got, albeit without the anticipated social lubricant of gallery wine.
The installation comprised a circle of lit candles across the floor, spelling out ‘unconditional regard’, a warm glow, a crowd chatting and people filming. Candles are a common symbol of naïveté and hope—rare qualities in the art world, and it is an achievement that ACW managed to keep its work from lapsing into irony and religious kitsch. This symbolism did not keep the work from becoming installation-as-backdrop though, as the actual work offered little more than a couple of words to be read. All the same, the cosy atmosphere and content of those words acted to prime the audience with warm fuzziness, as they were told to go into the world with an unconditional regard for others. And so you turn to your friends with sweetness in mind. Convivial indeed.
This work falls within the realm of art that French critic/curator Nicolas Bourriaud has termed ‘relational aesthetics’, meaning work primarily concerned