art essay the video work of rebecca loyche

8/3/2019 Art Essay The Video Work of Rebecca Loyche

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Meisterschlerin 2011with Candice Breitz

Hochschule fr Bildede Kste BrauschweigBrauschweig, Uiversity of Fie Arts

REBECCA LOYCHESelected Art Work 2008-2011


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Te Art of Climate Change: Media Apparatus, Global Art Markets, Volcanic Ash, Icelands

anking Crisis y Sarah K. Stanley

No one disputes that the production o contemporary art has become ullytegrated with its media apparatus. Promoted by institutions, namely museums and

ponsoring corporations such as banks, a complex media system is set into motion,cluding print media such as catalogs, books, magazines, combined with televisededia, all o which is archived and transmitted via the Internet. All these entitiessembled together control, organize and otherwise shape public taste and culturalscourse about Art. Te artworks ound at the air are incidental. What is hidden

eneath the inormality o the art air is a airly large beast that requires vast nancialsources to activate its ull powers o cultural production.

As immaterial as shiing weather patterns and climate change, the art apparatusbound to uctuating g lobal nancial markets, as unsettled by manmade disasters (war,anking raud, social unrest) as natural ones (global warming, volcanic ash, earthquakes).

Te global art market rears its gigantic head as a prickly beast, growing spikes andbscesses o economic market turmoil, and it is this ravaged monkey that is segmented,rdered and placed or display at the art air. Consequently, i the groups attending their were ever closely observed, captured on camera even, the expressions worn wouldnge rom utter distaste to total blankness, mingled with an occasional look oscination (Te Art Fair).

Te air exists in a concentrated temporality, 4 or 5 days, compared with galleryhows that last a month and museum shows which last several months to a year. It is

ereore dependent upon actors o time, such as quick nancial transactions, rapidlysembled architectural venues and prompt transport o people and artworks to the site.

Te reight shipment o artworks to the air means that it actually unctions mostly as amporary storage acility. Tis is conrmed by the act that several international art airse set up close by or even held inside airport hangers. Tere are comparisons to be made

etween the long white corridors and series o passageways that dene the architecture airports and those o art airs. Te art air shares the anonymity o transitory sites likerports, but also big-box supermarkets and blockbuster movie theaters; it oers a greaterriety o consumer choices, yet somehow produce a diminished sense o connection to

ctual places and other people.

How does this all compare with the uttering, so quality o riding a bicyclealong the canals, rivers, lakes and parks in the city o Berlin? Lie is not or sale at anart air, yet what then exactly is oered that produces its enormous allure? Te art airinvolves the olding and unolding o tent-like structures, walls oen made withordinary wallboard, the cheapest o building materials, an event similar to the rockconcert or ashion show. Art and its markets produce a similar condition that combinesthe thrill o shopping with an intensied sociality o branded display andentertainments. Just like a display window, consuming could mean just looking or itcould mean buying, yet international art airs cater to VIPs luxury tastes. Meanwhile,the air itsel is consuming great quantities o environmental resources due to its relianceupon transport o art reight and large international crowds to the venue.

Te Art o Climate Change: Commercial aviation is growing at a rate o ve

percent annually. Jet aircra emissions are deposited directly into the upper atmosphereand thereore have a greater warming eect than automobile exhaust. Te primary gasemitted by jet aircra engines is carbon dioxide, which can survive in the atmosphere up to100 years.

Te use o reight containers as gallery booths at Art Basel Miami completes thecircle o art as transport. Te Berlin gallerist Ola Stuber once used his large woodenreight container as the display table at the Nada Fair Miami, which took up the bulk ohis booth, a playul statement about art airs as a moving and storage operation. Tisart is traveling, but the question is, have its conceptual elements been packed up or the

journey? Te pessimist would respond that the art air steals rom the artwork itspowers o eect that depend upon an environment that acilitates relations betweenpeople, things and ideas. Tese include longer spans o time to wonder and wait to bemoved or to eel a deep awareness o ones own creative emergence in the world. Anoptimist might say that artists have already incorporated the idea o travel into the work,that all artwork today is destined or requent transport, and the white box o the artgallery had already provided a zone o abstraction early on.

One momentous shi in the organization o art sales is that artworks have begunto be packaged into the new types o nancial instruments, recalling the ones used toconsolidate and sell large quantities o sub-prime home mortgage loans. Certain artdealers resist treating art as a pure commodity, claiming to worry that collectors will endup owning art that is not o the highest quality. Te real reason or concern may be that

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diminishes the importance o the art dealer in the sales transaction. Te art air is oneep away rom these nancial instruments that package large groups o artworks orvestment banking, and indeed each crammed cell o a gallery booth at an art air couldell be a materialized model o global art shares. Each square oot o the booth is pricedcording to the dots per inch o the media screen that electronically transports the con-nts o the container onto the worldwide web.

I you want some examples o art activity that remains local and retains its powerseect, it would likely not involve commercial galleries at an art air. Te art projectMX Open Art Venue, initiated by artist Rebecca Loyche in Berlin 2009-2010, is part oong tradition o urban art spaces that emerge when a city is newly liberated rom thenstraints o a real estate driven market economy. It happened in New York City aerhite ight to the suburbs in the 1950s that le whole sections o central Manhattansdustrial architecture vacant, which allowed artists and galleries to move in the 1970s.

rt spaces opened in vacant buildings in Berlin in 1989 aer the Wall ell, including theajor art venue Kunst-Werke in Mitte. In recent years, real estate development has

vertaken much o this area, driving more rebellious artist spaces and dealers out. Teew shops that remain, like the ones in Manhattans Soho, eature trendy ashion andtail outlets with a supercial veneer o art and design.

Te Art o Financial Collapse: In March 2011, Icelands ocial investigation intoe collapse o its nancial system arrested Londons wealthiest property tycoons Robertchenguiz, Icelandic banks biggest borrower [1.37 billion BP], on charges o bankingaud. Kaupthing, one o the main three Icelandic banks that ailed in October 2008, madeusiness loans to the chenguiz brothers in property and retail through low wholesaleterest rates that evaporated once the US sub-prime mortgage crisis blew up.

Nothing can hinder the march o economic progress we are told, except naturalsaster or total economic meltdown. Tese two catastrophes, natural and

manmade, twist around the other like a coiled serpent o doom. Hannah Arendt, inr 1951 Origins o otalitarianism and ollowing Rosa Luxemburgs insight into the

olitical structure o imperialism, emphasized that investment capital requires endlesspansion in order to maintain its political stability, and depends upon total destructionproperty -- the conquest o new territory is its only achievable aim. Seventy percent o

erlins residential housing was destroyed in allied bombings in the 1940s.

Now the rubble alls by the hand o the artist as she renovates a vacant building inBerlin, making art video in the process o creating an alternative art venue (Still Lie)spirits stir again o those who had ormerly lived amidst the rubble o the aermath o theWar. Whose vanities and writing desks were covered over as Soviet soldiers wrecked urtherrevenge upon the German women le without deense or protection in Berlin? otaldestruction. A single fower remains in a vase undisturbed, a small token o lie thatsurvives, a ficker o aith, the color o your beating heart. Tis art is not or sale.

Te Icelandic Grimsvotn Volcano erupted and ash thrown up into theatmosphere that disrupted commercial jet travel. Te event allowed a comparativeanalysis o CO2 levels in the atmosphere, which gave a more accurate reading o

emissions o commercial jet travel. Te fight ban due to the volcanic eruption stoppedemission o estimated 2.8m tonnes o CO2. Tere might be two gures given on the pricesheets, the costs beore and aer transport to the art air, and its contributions to global

warming. rue costs also lead to a discussion o value, how art is valued and or whatreasons, and indeed what value(s) propel the global art market. I an earthquakehappens or a handheld explosive device kills 50 people, its media broadcast potentiallyricochets through the bones and marrow o artist intent upon making sense o senselessbrutality. Tese translations between materiality and media prove that certain artists arecapable o adding qualities o inormation into the mix o media images that global newsoutlets are unwilling or able to do. It is possible to orge connections between globalcatastrophe and the tactility produced rom sign language perormed at a protest inIceland (Hvalreki). Tis is the necessary work o the artist, to produce mediamaterialities that can still be elt at the tips o the ngers (Minds/Mines Dont Care), acommunication that tests the boundaries between the actuality o corporeal worlds andthe virtuality that contains its images and ideas. Tat which rides on the backs o whalesand the oating corpses o polar bears, the earths ragile eco-system propels an art oweather systems, a patterning that produces invisible media that continues to be elt asmagnetic elds.

~Sarah K. Stanley is a Berlin and London-based writer and media producer

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Minds/Mines Dont Care is a series o photograms o I.E.D.s (Improvised ExplosiveDevices) and land mines. Te photogram keeps the objects to scale and reerences the

viewers physical presence. Simultaneously, the instant identication o what one sees hasbeen reduced to a simple state. It invites the viewer to question what they are lookingat. Current bombs are being made out o readily available materials, such as trash, cellphones, light bulbs, pens, water bottlesother items can be gathered with a quick trip tothe hardware store. Similar to X-rays or early cyanotype photogram botany studies, thesephotos catalog the truth o the object. Te X-ray quality plays with issues o paranoiaand Homeland Security. In America, we are ar removed rom the realities o a suicide

bomber, explosions in public spaces, and open land that has been embedded with mines.Contrasting elements o this work include the ideas o beauty, intrigue, ragility,mundane objects and the implied violence that is present in these weapons which linkthem to a maker. In the end, it is the human mind that is the biggest threat.

Te title derives rom the U.S. military issuing country-specic land mine identicationcard packs. On the ront o this pack is the iconic skull and cross bones with the slogan:Be Aware Mines Dont Care.D. (Improvised Eplosive Device) Water Bottle, Shrapel with Walkie

kie Detoator 2008/2009otogram, 50.8 61 cm

provised Eplosive Delay Device- Clock, Battery, Blastig cap 2009otogram, 50.8 61 cm

ids/Mies Dot Care

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isy Chai of Pipe bombs with self detoator, 2008otogram, 50.8 61 cm

D. Booby trap detoator- Mousetrap, broke bulb,tery, 2009

otogram, 50.8 61 cm/ 98


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A 45-minute protest speech edited down to 4 minutes based on the tone o thepeakers, the emotion o the sign language interpreter, and the crowds reaction.poken Icelandic and Icelandic Sign Language are recognized as two dierent languages,ith approximately 320,000 people speaking Icelandic and 200 + people using Icelandicgn as their primary language. Te video is about the visual and audible ways in which

ommunication occurs. o be dea is to be unable to hear and to protest is also to raisewareness to those who do not hear. Te word Hvalreki means stranded whale inelandic. A comparable English translation would be windall . Te irony o a stran-

ed whale is a dying beast or ood or a hungry vil lage, bad and good can come at theme time.

valreki

Hvalreki, 2009Video stills, Video istallatio / 1110


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POKEN ICELANDIC O ENGLISH

oman: Without pre-school teachers, midwives, teachers, and nurses, the economic situation does notatter. Let us redene what is valuable and requires responsibility:ing responsible or children, education, the physical health o t he nation, should all weigh more thaning responsible or paper stock and money.

an: Where we are going to make the ollowing demands:e want justice, elections scheduled, and the cliques done away with rom the ederal bank, themmercial banks and the Financial Supervisory Authority. We want airness and the quota systemminated, no more "golden parachutes", no more greed, no more nepotism, education and skills valued,

e want togetherness and real solutions or people acing nancial difculties.. Te removal o indexedans, a new Nordic welare system.

oman: Its complicated but its not that complicated that a whole committee o riends o riends have toaround or a whole year and scratch their heads.

an: Both here at Austurvllur and around the world are thinking... and I'm going to ask you... Isn't it truehat I said in the letter? Do we want the directors o the Federal Bank to leave? Do we want the directorsthe Financial Supervisory Authority to leave? Do we want a dierent way to govern? Do we want therrupting powers to leave? Do we want the government to leave? Do we want an election?ear Geir (Prime Minister o Iceland).. You are going to get a letter this week.

oman: ... and are in a lot o debt. I would have gladly liked to have spent that money on mysel.new direction and new ways, break down the old party system.. and lets ace it that it is outdated.

an: Tis week I heard Geir quoted saying, or i I heard him say it mysel, I don't remember... He doesn'tnow what the people on Austurvllur are thinking. He's only human; we'll send him some q-tips. Ianted to ask you, I was thinking about writing him a letter-

ear Geir.. Read this letter careully.. What we the people, Icelanders, both here at Austurvllur andound the world are thinking....

oman: Prices are kept secret here. Imagine i the price o a carton o milk was kept secret or menus atstaurants didn't show their prices, then it would be up to the individual's business savvy, what kind o aice he/she would get.

~ Man rom the crowd yells -- "Tats a good one!"

oman cont: Dear nation, lets harness the power that's in us. Lets get all the smart people involved. Letsnnect with grassroots and make a new Iceland, where everyone can prosper. We are the nation and the

wer is ours!

ICELANDIC SIGN LANGUAGE O ENGLISH

I no preschool teachers, midwives, teachers and lawyers economic situation no matter. We needto identiy again economic what is in responsibility. Children, education, health o a nation, value betterthan responsibility paper, bond, money.

Tis meeting put orwards demands Ill read. We want rights, we want election decide time, cliques awayrom the C entral bank, the banks, the FSA (Financial Supervisory Authority), away, away, away. We wantrighteousness, (shing) quota system away, retirement pension or the members o parliament away, takethings or yoursel away, relation hiring away, education and abilities valued. We want solidarity, realsolutions or people that cant pay. Away with the index. Nordic health system. Encourage all to go toArnarholl 1. December clock 3.

Tis is complicated, not very complicated one committee o riends sit in one year, scratch head, cant do.

Te whole world thinks today asking you, true Ill tell you. We want the board o the Central bank away,yes you, we want the board o the FSA away, yes, we want to change the leadership, yes, we want thecorruption away, we want t he government away, we want election, yes. Dear Geir, Ill send letter this week.

Remember news I and everyone o you Iceland owes very much. I want to use this money mysel. Newdirection, new way, the old parties tear down and throw away and see obsolete.

I heard last week Geir Haarde, he didnt know people in Austurvollur were thinking, doesnt know youthinking today. He is a human being, we send him swabs, so can hear.

I ask you, Im thinking o writing letter send to Geir, Dear Geir, please be kind to read this letter tho-roughly. We people o Iceland ....

Here ridiculous i secret about price. Imagine i secret what milk would cost or on a menu in a restaurantno price, then i clever business every one can decide what we pay.

Dear nation, we need to encourage every thinking person together make a new Iceland,everybody eel better. We are a nation, we power.

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ircadian

ircadian oers the participant an otherworldly experience. Upon rst entering thepace, the visitor encounters a light-lled white room. Te Circadian rhythm is theological process o the human body to naturally unction on a twenty-our-hour cycle.

ne o the strongest actors which alters this state is the abundance, or lack o, daylight.Te 10,000 lux o ull spectrum light in the room enhances the eects o sitting outside

n a sunny day. Te accompanying atmospheric soundscape is composed o severalerent audio layers o white noise, unidentied audio recordings rom the oceans

epths collected by researchers, other sound elements rom nature and the human body,assical music and analogue audio players. Te music is approximately 15 minutes inngth and light therapy research has shown that this is the baseline amount o timeeople need to benet rom light exposure. Te rhythmic and hypnotic sound in theom enhances the experience o this perceptual isolated solarium.

Circadia, 2011Soud & Light Istallatio, Soudscape Rebecca Loyche~ Site-specific i Trier, Germay

Circadia, 2010Soud & Light Istallatio, Soudscape Bjork Viggosdottir~ Site-specific i Berli, Germay / 1514


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cadia, 2010/2011ud & Light Istallatio,Site-specific

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ill Lie

Te Still Lie series records some o the memories o an old building that is undergoingnovation in the Mitte neighborhood o Berlin. A still lie is set up each time a wall is goingbe knocked down. Each still lie is made rom materials and other traces that have been le

ehind in the rooms o the house. Te men knocking down the walls start on one side, and Iand on the other, lming the still lie and protecting the camera rom the alling debris. Whenatching the demolition it organically created a lm set. Te historical still lie ormat opturing slow decay became the medium to show rapid destruction. Original sound recordings

ave been edited to ampliy the already existing ambient noises o the city going on right outsidee windows o the house during the demolition. Te lie outside the window drowns out the lieside until everything settles once again.

ll Life, 2011deo Stills~HD Video istallatio, Site-Specificud Miig by Arthur Guidi / 1918


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Still Life, 2011Video Stills~HD Video istallatio, Site-Specific

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Te Art Fair

Double pleated suit, very stylish, classic. Customize tailored usually runs about 1,000-2,000 Euros.

Rigidness, sel-conscious way o carrying onesel and totally shut o, hard to approachdemeanor. Deep seated issues.

Good posture, good shoes, physically t. Doesnt stand out in the crowd, blends in andcould get away quickly.

e Art Fair, 2011deo Still, HD Video istallatio with 3 chael audio / 2322


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The Art Fair, 2011Video Still, HD Video istallatio with 3 chael audio

Te Art Fair is a video installation with three dierent channels o audio. Adeo shot o an art air is shown to three varying specialists in the elds o security,

rt, and psychology. Each specialist watches the same ootage and gives his or her ownistinct reading o the people walking by.

Proling is a natural part o human nature and is based on personal, or occupa-onal, experience. Te Art Fair is not just a orum or buying and selling work, but alsostage on which to spectate and expose trends. People come, looking to see the next big

hing and scrutinize the work. At the same time, there is an air o Flneurism in thesles o the art air, where both the art and the person are on display. Te video is shot

n an inconspicuous manner so that individuals appear unselconsciously in ront o theamera as they walk down the runways o the air. It is not always easy to match theoiceover with the individual being proled, and the viewer begins to speculate and, in

urn, starts to prole between the gaps and pauses in the narration. As the viewer scanshe ootage or characters, there is a contrast between the acile voyeuristic impulse oeing inuenced by someone elses input, and the deault internal proling system o theoyeur.

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Diese Publikatio erscheit alsslich der Ausstellug /

This book is published o the occasio of the ehibitio

SCHTzEnFEST MEISTERSCHLER 2011

15. 10. 15. 11. 2011

Brauschweiger raumLABOR

Hamburger Strae 26738114 Brauschweig

AUSSTELLUnG / ExHIBITIOn

Koeptio / Coceptio

Andreas Bee, Corinna Schnitt

Orgaisatio / Orgaiatio

####################

CATALOGUE

WRITERS

Elvia Pyburn-Wilk (Introduction text)

Sarah K. Stanley (The Art of Climate Change: Media Apparatus,

Global Art Markets, Volcanic Ash, Icelands Banking Crisis)

Rebecca Loyche(All artwork synopsis)PROOF-READInG

Pamela Cohn

GRAPHIC DESIGn

Rebecca Loyche

PHOTOGRAPHS

Rebecca Loyche & Jonathan Grger

PRODUCTIOn

Sigert ###########

2011 Autore fr die abgebildete Werke vo

Rebecca Loyche: beim Kstleri / for the

reproduced works by R. Loyche: the artist

www.rebeccaloyche.com

ISBn ################Prited i Germay

Utersttt vo / Supported by

Rebecca Loyche is a 2010/2011 DAAD Scholarship recipient.

Her studies at the Hbk have been made possible with this support.

Hierwird

derInnente

ilindenUmschlaggek

lebt

art essay the video work of rebecca loyche

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