Project No. 2 - Evil and its meanings

AUC ART
Collective Experiments of Meanings in Life Experience

Project No. 2 - 09/04/11

Theme - Evil and its Meanings

I took magic truffles for the first time and it was an amazing experience. It felt very “organic”, everything around me came to life and I was more aware of my human body – muscles, breathing, sensations – these came together in between crazy flashes of moving shadows and images. There was a “presence” in my room. Something at the back of my kitchen that was powerful – what was it? I was scared of it, I switched on the lights and repeated: “There’s nothing here, go away!” and moved my arms around as if to feel something there. After a while I forgot about it and switched the lights back off. It came back – a flash of light in the corner of my eye. I decided to make a shrine, a circle of twigs, orange tulips and candles – I kneeled down and looked up at this presence. I felt the potential for evil if I did not respect it. During every day life, I am happy to say I feel no threats. Amsterdam is a safe city and I am unaware of “evil spirits” – it’s an urban, constructed setting – is there such a thing as evil spirits? Why did people back in the day have tokens, luck symbols, ancestors to guard them from evil forces? What is this hidden force? Where does it come from?

For this project, you will:

- Reflect upon the dark side of your personality. Make a list, drawing, performance, sculpture, etc… of your occult qualities. What are they? What do they mean to you?

- Identify evil in societies across space and time. Consider rituals and symbols that are connected to them.

- Develop at least one short live performance (preferably in a small group) that expresses your concept of evil.

- From this performance, develop your project for next week’s session.

As the second theme in our series, this is aimed to achieve a more refined perception of the world around you – it is not as easy to see as textures. To start you off, pay attention to soft nuances in your behaviour and of other people’s – this may mean people close to you or popular figures in society. David Lynch’s movies may help you tap into this “other world” of spirits.

Remember, the process you go through is more important than the product, so don’t worry if it turns out shit! It’s your involvement with the subject that counts to your development.

Any questions? sarahpaivarodrigues@gmail.com, sarah de paiva rodrigues on Facebook

Project No. 1 - Meanings of Textures

AUC ART
Collective Experiments of Meanings in Life Experience

Project No. 1 - 02/04/11

Theme - Meanings of Textures

I watched Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” (1958), and one thing that got my attention was the apparent difference between our contemporary “clean”, sharp images, with sleek, cold lines and structures, and the velvety depth of the image of the 50s films. Wallpapers, sofa covers, the fabrics of clothes, colour - they all seemed more “bold”, (of course the actors’ skins looked orange because of Technicolor technology), but there is a striking contrast between the feel of things – the cars are more robust and solid, clothes looked heavier… today with IKEA and post-modernist movements, the objects around us look light, maybe even cheap (for instance, the difference between our fabric sofas and the leather couches of the 50s, or the old paneled walls and our current crisp, white walls). How does this affect us? What do textures do for us in everyday life?

For this project, you will:

- Focus on textures; this can be a concept, physical textures, movements, feelings, sounds, can textures have smells? Can colours have textures?

- Look at textures inside and/or outside our living space (water in the canals, bricks of buildings, fabrics of pillows, wood of our tables…).

- Develop at least one practical plastic experiment (using materials and their properties)

- Develop an overall intention or concept that supports your project (this may be extensive or not)

- Develop a “final” project/object/presentation for next session

To start you off, it might be useful to research some artists, go to an exhibition (the Tropenmuseum’s “ROOD” is great), play around with different mediums, engage in spontaneous body movements, eat foods with funny textures, watch documentaries of experiments with chemical properties, etc.

The purpose of this project is to begin the series of themes we will cover during our three months together. You can take it to wherever you want to go, but, because this is the beginning, I would like you to pay particular attention to experimenting with materials – perhaps drawing, painting, playing a musical instrument – these actions may draw you closer to the concept you elaborate and the action is what is most important here. The process you go through is more important than the product, so don’t worry if it turns out shit! It’s your involvement with the subject that counts to your development.

Any questions? sarahpaivarodrigues@gmail.com, sarah de paiva rodrigues on Facebook

AUC ART - Collective Experiments of Meanings in Life Experience

AUC ART

Collective Experiments of Meanings in Life Experience

Over the next three months, starting Saturday, April 2nd 2011, I propose a structured weekly workshop dealing with “meanings in life experience”, where we intuitively, actively and constructively try to understand, mould and appropriate into ourselves the meanings of particular themes in every-day experience.

Every Saturday, I will introduce a topic based on a personal experience, which I will ask you to elaborate on as you wish. This will be issued in a print-out version, along with a simple explanation.

From 1 o’clock to 5 pm, at the dorms, the time will be scheduled into three parts. 1. To interpret the theme, 2. to develop upon it, and 3. to create something new. This structure is set to generate discipline, but the method is entirely up to you. Every person in the group is free to start a discussion, collaborate or even brain storm individually if they wish. They may experiment with ideas and plunge into try outs and begin their production process during the workshop or after.

At the end of the workshop session, members may continue their projects and finish them for exhibition the following Saturday. This “exhibition” is a group demonstration and discussion which may last up to 30 minutes. During this session, peers can develop a critical and constructive analysis of each other’s work (and please don’t be sissies). The projects should be concluded within one week, however, if a member feels he/she must continue with the project, he/she may extend it for one more week.

The purpose of this collective experiment is to achieve an artistic approach to life (conceptual and practical), to develop specific techniques, methods and thought processes, to inter-exchange skills and experiences, and to indulge in Amsterdam’s cultural life.

The workshops will include: (i) sharing skills and specific knowledge, (ii) researching and experimenting with a range of materials, (iii) excursions to galleries, museums, venues and other interesting sites of choice.

There is no definite word to describe these workshops. They are not solely fine arts oriented, design oriented, conceptual oriented, or whatever. They are everything you wish to pursue. This may feel somewhat confusing; you may not know where to start or what you wish to try out, but these are collective workshops where we can help each other be more autonomous. (If you have any questions, I will always be available to hear you out and help you find your way.)

Areas of interest may range from film to knitting, music or flower arrangement to “running naked through the park to test people’s reactions”. Art is everything. Or is it? I propose a space, in this great community we have formed in Carolina Mac Gillavrylaan, to expand and create. We may discuss artists, scientists, bureaucrats. We can focus on lawn mowers, oil lamps and the fat geese in the canals… The point is to be aware of a world outside of AUC and then bring it back in to share amongst ourselves. We all have stories to tell, why can’t we show them?

My name is Sarah Rodrigues, I’m a new student at AUC and, to be frank, I’m tired of all this academic crap. Don’t you agree that if we don’t engage in something practical, we will become sterile, with no grasp of life! What does it mean to be living? And I don’t just ask the question theoretically, don’t feed me ethereal bullshit, show me what it means. Let me feel, hear, touch, see your world.

I propose that at the end of these three months, we can organize an end-of-year exhibition at AUC to display all our projects – 12 in total. I will also try to get sponsorship from AUC for materials and general support.

Please let me know if you have any suggestions or queries.

To sign up, just add yourself to the Facebook group and show up for the workshops, every Saturday at 1 o’clock, my common room – 1014, 3rd floor, 1st building, 2nd entrance (on sunny days, we may meet outside). Everyone is welcome.

(Refreshments and snacks might be included if everyone chips in).