Red Ball Project Toronto by Kurt Perschke
Essentially a giant ball wedged into familiar city landmarks. On Sunday, it took up the main entrance of Old City Hall; this venue proved to be a more interesting contrast to the giant red ball than Friday's venue, Nathan Phillips Square. The piece easily engaged the general public, encouraging public interaction with the ball from kids and adults alike, but definitely lacked any depth. I worry that a piece like this will be used by those who fail to appreciate contemporary art as an example of how shallow the genre is.
long wave by David Rokeby and Primary Manifestos by Jason Baerg (Luminato Box)
After seeing Perschke's work, long wave's use of red balls appears derivative. Even considered on its own, Rokeby's string of red balls swirling through the galleria of Brookfield Place has the impact of Ikea home design: safe and unobtrusive.
Jason Baerg's Primary Manifestos was Sunday's featured artist in the Luminato Box and its total lack of consideration for the unique venue was off putting. Paintings and a projection that could have been shown in any gallery space did nothing to acknowledge the Luminto Box nor the location. However, I am more inclined to blame the curator than the artist for this sloppiness. With a different artist featured every day of the 10 day festival, one would think that the curator would have chosen more dynamic work that makes use of or references the Luminato Box.
Broken Arrow by Germaine Koh
This piece was hiddent deep inside the darkened Exchange Tower and was overwhelmed by its venue. Koh had moving words projected onto a wall, but the whole piece was barely noticeable above a pair of escalators and on a wide expanse of black granite wall. The result was underwhelming and the message was obscured.
Public art installation by Tony Oursler
Having had some of Tony Oursler's work burned into my memory more than a decade ago, I was disappointed by his contribution to Luminato. When we arrived in the middle of the day, Oursler's piece just outside Grange Park was not turned on. After a sufficient number of confused visitors had roamed around the piece, a Luminato worker finally got up to turn on the visuals and sound. However, it was hard to see anything in the midday light. Ousler's installation would have been better suited to a night time event like Nuit Blanche than a festival that takes place during some of the longest days of the year.
Based on what I have seen, I would characterize Luminato's free visual art offerings as conservative and/or insensitive to its surroundings. If the organizers of Luminato cannot offer provocative visual art in the event's rather limited repetoire, they might as well not offer any at all.
3 comments:
80% of Luminato programming is free, in the visual arts as well as all other performing arts categories. If you go to Yonge Dundas Square, Harbourfront Centre, Yorkville, and numerous other areas around Toronto you will encounter an amazing range of free programs in all genres, with thousands and thousands of Toronto audiences happily participating. You might want to go to Luminato.com or pick up a brochure to really understand the Luminato program.
I agree with the above comment. The fact of the matter is, most people who know something about art have expectations about what they are going to see. Unfortunately, some with limited insight understand most art to be shallow unless it meets their own criteria. To be fair to this author, however, alot of contemporary art is shallow. I don't think Red Ball was on this level of shallow--usually that would be associated with some rediculous price tag, i.e. damien hirst.
For one very opinionated in art (and cynical in other areas as well I see), you should get an art job in NYC and then see how shallow Red Ball is in comparison. Art means something different to everyone.
Respectfully Mr. Pangzi, I beg to differ with your observations. As a young educated artist who has traveled the world to take in some of the most respected contemporary art experiences, I think Luminato offers some exciting programming. The Red Ball was dynamic as it challenged the space with extreme precision. The conceptually loaded Primary Manifestos were also spectacular as they held court in the atrium in the made to measure "Box" temporary gallery. The BCE Building and Luminato Festival should be congratulated for how they successfully extended visual arts and integrated it into one of the most stunning architectural spaces internationally. Congrats as well to the curators, they selected Canadian work that powerfully held its own in this exquisite environment. ... Sculpture, Installation, Painting, New Media, Architecture ... Brilliant.
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