TribLIVE: Everyone loves a circus, but few can actually be part of one. That is, unless you stop by the Mattress Factory on the North Side to experience Ben Sota's installation piece “Damn Everything but the Circus,” a component of the “Artists in Residence” exhibit, which recently opened there as part of the 2014 Pittsburgh Biennial.
6 comments:
This is a really great idea; I really like the idea of interactive art exhibits. The most interesting and unique exhibits presents opportunities for people to do and see things they would not normally get to. The circus theme is one that is still being explored in the artistic world, which is why I am not surprised by this mattress factory experience. I want to go see this, although the photos are not too convincing; I wonder what is so unique about this exhibit other than the interactive aspects. I cannot imagine the “new” museum rules that this artist is playing with tat would be particularly exiting. The idea of the “social circus” just sounds like those community gymnastics centers that teach people, families, whoever how to do basic “circus like” things. That all being said I would love to at least see the old circus equipment.
I saw this piece, and was not overly impressed. I did get a distinct circus impression, but one of disorganization and unenjoyable chaos. I liked the concept, but the room was so packed that I couldn't even get close to the exhibit. While I'm the audience's intention was to get people involved, it was impossible to experience anything but a crush of bodies all trying to use the swing. Rather than feel like a circus, it felt like an oversized daycare. If this was the intention, excellently done, but after reading the article I get the impression it was not.
That said, the rest of the museum was amazing. I felt immersed, enlightened, as though I had been immersed in other worlds. beautiful.
I think that interactive art leaves the largest impact on the viewer. This exhibit creates a truly immersive art form that can be different every time you visit. Granted, I have not yet visited the the exhibit at the mattress factory and Olivia points out a very important observation. Art should be interactive as well as accessible. If the fact that people can interact with this work of art is causing it to become overcrowded and disorganized, then whole purpose is defeated. Artists need to keep in mind the bridge between what makes something immersive versus crowded.
Sota's exhibit sounds like it would be a really cool experience. I'd would especially be interested to see how Montgomery's part appears, which is described as being inspired by the unique architecture of the room in which it is contained.
It's really unfortunate that it didn't turn out quite the way that it was intended, as Olivia described, but I think there is a lot of potential for the ideas that Sota put forth in his installation. The prospect of an interactive piece is a lot more novel and interesting than your standard museum exhibit, and it seems like such uses of space might help to increase people's interest in museums and the like.
I cannot wait to see these new exhibits! Over the summer, I visited the Mattress Factory a few times while the new exhibits were changing over, but I haven't been back since. The one day, I saw some of the people who were installing and they were on what appeared to be a big circular circus apparatus. Because of my past experience as a carnie, I was really excited at the prospect of there being a circus-themed exhibit, and I'm delighted to hear it is a reality! The circus art are a skill like no other, combining beauty and grace with absolute fearlessness. It's so exciting to know that more and more people are coming to understand and appreciate how incredible circus performance is!
I am sad to say I still have not made it to the Mattress Factory since I've been in Pittsburgh, but maybe I'll find my way to see the Biennial exhibit. It's interesting that Sota's exhibit is circus-based. This summer, the RISD museum had a great exhibit called Circus which examined both the art of circus itself as well as how fine artists are drawn to it and portray it in their work throughout history. Sota's "Damn Everything but the Circus" is completely different from anything else I've seen though. The fact that the viewers intended to interact with the pieces by actually walking on a tightwire or using a trapeze is so incredibly unique.
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