A contextual, unrehearsed group performance with selected objects and images, this idea is very experimental. For an end of term project during my MFA, I chose a space in Concordia University’s V.A. building basement as a performative site and used the slightly surreal context of our usual critiques as a starting point. My goal was to set up a completely staged moment, a “private art piece” to be experienced with a specific selection of people, in this case, the intermedia group and faculty as well as the external guests that were present that day. I wrote a script for an illusional and theatrical group critique of some of my artworks. At the beginning of the exercise, each participant received a copy of the scenario and were asked to play their own character, saying what had been written for them at indicated times. The script created a fake discussion about anything that I felt like talking about, from very pointless matters to survival issues. It wandered around insiders and universal questions of beauty, perception, accomplishment, belief, extinction, the art world mannerism and the history of the V.A. building. All of this was implicitly demonstrated through an imitation of a real critique, in which imposed impressions and questions were being raised about actual works that were set up in the space according to an imaginary logic. By creating this uncanny, custom-made and ephemeral experience, I kind of wanted everybody to be collectively stuck in an unreal interaction with each other, with the space, and with the objects that were presented. I wanted to distort an oddly familiar situation, to critically address issues of obedience, vulnerability and confidence and, somehow, ask : “are these fabricated things considered art, junk, commodity, masterpieces, jokes, mise en abyme, decoration, illusory props or validation of truth ?”.
I chose not to record the actual performance, which I regard as a private art piece. The experience was to be shared by a restricted group of people, for whom I wrote a custom script. Some traces of the project can be discovered by reading the scenario and viewing some photos, but apart from that, I am happy with the idea that the complete story will be kept in participants’ memory and only spread by word-of-mouth.
Here are some of the objects and drawings used during the performance, with things that were said about them :
“here is one with a nice pine trees design on the mug”
3D vision kit
LEILA (showing the clear plastic bag on the floor) : “Frédérique, is this also one of your pieces?” FRÉDÉRIQUE : “No Leila, this is just a normal life plastic bag full of colorful attractive objects that we are not going to discuss.”
“here is a red one with a cookie”
“here is a very full one”
IQRAR (looking at the drawing on the right side of Fred’s dad portrait) : “This one looks like another quite emotional picture, do you want to talk about this one Fred?” FRÉDÉRIQUE : “Yes, this one is about solitude.”
“here is the last coffee I had in this amazing mug”
“The thing with technology is that you kind of need to know how to work it. Then people praise you for your knowledge. The poetry is optional.”
“here is one with brown cheap paint and poorly executed perspective”
ELISABETH (pointing at the ceiling) : “Frédérique, what are those little characters up there ?” FRÉDÉRIQUE (pointing at the ventilation system) : “Oh these are an upside down cinema audience. I forgot to mention that we are the protagonists of a real-life documentary about survival that is being watched by them right now.”
“here is a conceptual playful coffee”
“I did not know that chocolate chips cookies float.”
“here is the bonus of my coffee that day”
“Look at these river rocks. You can probably jump from one to the other to get over there safely.”
FRÉDÉRIQUE : “Yeah, it was there when I arrived. I don’t know what happened to it, but it is clearly related to this dangerous floor.” BORIS : “I know, what a shame. I bet it would still work otherwise.” FRÉDÉRIQUE : “For sure, I have one that is eight years old and it still works fine. This model is exceptional.”
FRÉDÉRIQUE (putting her iphone on the plinth) : “No the problem is that the first rainbow I photographed completely crushed my phone screen, and then I got scared of what would happen to me if I continued.” ELISABETH : “You really have a spiritual relationship with rainbows don’t you ?”
“Well if you must know, I believe this is a portrait of Fred’s dad.”
“Another piece that I want to show you is this drawing of a flower. I wanted to challenge myself to produce artworks that can be judged according to measurable criterias. You know, artworks that trigger objective appreciation for a change. So here is the longest drawing of a flower ever made.”
“here is one with a Canadian mug “
“I have made some coloring kits with blue and red crayons. With your help, these faces too can have 3D contact lenses. Just follow the example provided in the kit.”
SWINTAK : “Are you suggesting that the V.A. Building is becoming submerged by its own floor ?” FRÉDÉRIQUE : “I am afraid so. According to this book, the floor is now about 2 feet higher than twenty years ago. And it is probably still rising.”
“Here is one from a day when I brought Boris’ coffee to class so I had 2 coffees”
“here is a rainbow coffee […] here is a 3D coffee”
“here is a nicer one”
“Isn’t it funny how what we believed was a chips container just 2 minutes ago turned out to be a sculpture and what we thought was a sculpture earlier, is now a chips container !”
BILL : “Great plinth by the way.” FRÉDÉRIQUE : “Thank you, I found it in the corridor and slightly changed its design. Now it’s has multipurpose features and even some storage space here.”
“Yes, I figured displaying two drawings about loneliness side by side would create an interesting paradox.”
“I think the two of us should go and check those red lockers over there. Let’s bring the document with us to see if we can open locker number 273.”
“If you don’t mind, I would also like to show these 3D contact lenses that I have made, aiming – as always – to make life even 3Der than it already is.”
“here is one in a a distinguished container”
“Oh look, there is a page with a padlock combination sticker.”
IQRAR : “River rocks ? This simulacre is very hard to believe.” SWINTAK : “Try with the 3d glasses.”
“In its actual mysterious condition, this bag of chips remains the starting point of a number of unanswered questions.”
“Well Frédérique, you should not expect getting any praise about this technological piece. These pieces of garbage are completely dysfunctional.”
At the end of THE CRIT PLAY, all of the participants were encouraged to keep anything they wanted from the stuff presented. Therefore, some objects could not be documented and will remain legendary.
