GRAVITY STEPHEN WILSON 19.03.2015

Lecture Notes:

Amateur Time, Kids, Youth and Transitivity - Gravity 'time' Lecture

What it might mean to have a better understanding of time?
Where is the optimism in terms of the future? raised issues of constant surveillance

Joao Penalva 1949
From the Weeds of Hiroshima 1997
photographs, gelatine silver and ink on paper.
 - Used photogram technique to capture images of weed flowers which pushed themselves through the ground hit by the Hiroshima atomic bomb.
 - Weed has uses in medicine and symbolism of life
 - Radiation connotations in silhouette like photograms, shadow of previous life imprinted to the page.

"the future is not what it used to be"

Vivienne Dick
Guerillére Talks 1978
Revisits an era of having no money meant to possibility of having more time. A way to survive in London on the welfare state in the 80s - allowing time to develop practice without interruption.
Continually framing a female perspective. Gorilla filming to emphasise mood and texture. Part of the 'no wave' movement.
 "Wanted to make films where men are peripheral, much like women are."
Testament to youth culture.

'...We live in a talkative era, one in which the public display of opinions, raciness, declarations and diverse 'comings out' has reached a level seldom seen in the past.' - Marc Augé - The Future (2015)

"Imagine an exhibition that cannot be sustained. Thats is falling apart before installation has begun. That flickers on and off to Skype notification sounds" - Hito Stereyl

Work Shown - Mercela arms - Exhaust, 2009
(6 cars, plastic container, gas combustion, bridge)
- presents an image the provides a public reminder to what cities now represent in these current time. Very complex results in these grown up cities.

Yuan Goang - Ming
The 561st Hour of Occupation (2014) - Video
- Students occupied the parliament of Taiwan for 561 hours
- Students wanted a closer watch on how taiwan is being governed, especially in regards to their future.
- soundtrack came from the taiwanese national anthem, slowed down in order to give a 'church-like' chorus.
- filmed on the eve of the withdrawal.
- visual index the coveys a amateur youthful revolt.

Opavivara! Formosa Decelerator (2014)
Transmedia: 220 x 1000 x 1000cm
16 hammocks around a tea table.
Questions on productivity.

'Can we speculate collectively on how to move beyond the present confines of contemporary arts practices, and begin articulating what can  appear from it's 'formerness?'" - Camiel Van Winkel - Statement taken from an ICA lecture on February 4th 2015

Questions:
Do you think theres a politics in wasting time?
So much being written about social 'structuristic' job work which don't help to support culture let alone art. How we have navigate this cruelty and optimism at the same time.

'Can we think of a future after the future?'

Lecture started questioning society and culture in terms of time and how our cultures have changed in time - 'The future is not what it used to be.' What we thought we once about the what the future would be like has not occurred - time itself has changed society. Explored questions of work and play. The time we spend reflecting on work as artists and the time we spend creating artwork, questioning this balance. Letting our practice into our own lives just that little bit more.