sinking feeling

I would like to bring an appealing sequence of events for the attention of the readers. I think, theseevents provide a clear picture of how art, despite its escalating value, remains an unregulatedcommodity, leaving artists' ideas susceptible to potentially unethical appropriation.

During the summer time of 2004, Italian artist Lara Favaretto (previously a P.S. 1/M0MAInternational Studio Program participant who had been recently featured in Art forum's Openingssection [May 2004]) produced a work titled E' uno spettacolo, which consisted of a table by havingan outboard motor linked to make, ultimately, a boat. This sculpture--shown in December 2004 inthe Art Basel Miami Beach fair within the Franco Noero stall, and situated in the "Statements"section--was combined with six framed photographs depicting the artist using the table with ajourney down the Po River in northern Italy. I would also say at this stage that I currently own thiswork.

You can think of my surprise when, in March 2005, Artforum published a post [1000 Words] wherecurator and contributing editor Hans-Ulrich Obrist introduced a number of works by Jennifer Alloraand Guillermo Calzadilla--among them a drawing of a person steering an overturned table withminnkota motor from the water. This piece was a study for a video featuring a young man navigatinga waterborne table-cum-boat around the Puerto Rican island of Vieques, mainly because it appears.The job was ultimately shown around this summer's Venice Biennale in the Rosa Martinez-curatedArsenale. Meanwhile, a version of Favaretto's earlier piece was showing with the Venice Biennalewithin the Italian pavilion and actually won the prize to get the best Italian artist. I could not helpbut realize that Allora and Calzadilla's new work was discounted weekly after the Biennale at theLisson Gallery booth in the Art Basel fair--as well as for a much higher price than E' uno spettacolofetched in Miami, being a collector of contemporary art.

I know that Favaretto, who is a reader of your magazine, has chosen never to protest any possible"borrowing" of her idea, invoking instead the dogma of Alighiero e Boetti that encourages the artistto disseminate ideas as freely and widely as you can. But there are still several lessons to learn outof. Fire can easily spread rapidly

on the boat, even in water.

Alarms and also detectors can

help keep your crew safe.this story, some philosophical and others quite down to earth. To thinkabout the latter: Someone likely saw a thing of beauty from a relatively young artist at the Art BaselMiami Beach fair in 2004, made a replica utilizing a different technology, then showed it within animportant exhibition before subsequently selling it on the next http://marinecorps.military.com/ artfair in Europe for any higher price. If, on the other hand, you will find a more conceptual basis forthe incredible resemblance between these artists' activly works to consider, I would personally stilldebate that this particular appropriative artistic practice is not really exactly original. MaurizioCattelan, as an example, continues to be doing something similar for almost all of his career;nevertheless in his case the appropriation is his declared goal.

This incident should function as a warning towards the collector: Because the art system grows moreof any industry, ethical positions are steadily eroded. While art itself will not need rules and indeedoften works against them, the economy of art ought to be held to specific standards, just like all

economies. Otherwise, the consumer will never be capable to judge the visible difference betweenCoke and fake Coke.

Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla respond:

Regarding Mr. Gropello's passionate assertions, we have been first compelled to state that there isnothing new about turning a table in a boat. In fact, when researching our project, we discoveredthat you have numerous types of floating tables, all created by those who are not artists, and minnkota rebate all of which predate--some by decades--Lara Favaretto's version. Perhaps a moreinteresting dialogue would consider exactly how the same form can be utilized by unrelated artiststo radically divergent ends.

Unfortunately, Mr. Gropello offers go to some false conclusions based on his incorrect belief thatFavaretto was the 1st person to generate a table float. But let us make it clear that our intention wasnever to engage in some diabolical act of artistic theft. (Indeed, we were not even aware ofFavaretto's table until it had been brought to our attention following the publication of our ownpreparatory drawing from the March 2005 issue ofArtforum.) Rather, our motivations stemmed fromyour desire to produce a metaphoric vehicle striking enough to stimulate discussion throughout thecomplex issues concerning the land-reclamation movement about the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico.

Specifically, we planned to highlight the words one often hears concerning the status of land onVieques--namely, that it must be "under discussion"--by turning a boardroom table in to awaterborne vessel. Barbecues should not end up being utilized

on boats - hot charcoal gives off

dangerous numbers of CO and

blown embers could set the boat

alight.

� Preserve cabin ventilation obvious to end up being able to

prevent a new develop -up involving toxic CO.

� Attempt to maintain fabrics away from

cooking hobs for you to stop these people

from catching fire.

� Examine the flues associated with coal and wood

burning stoves pertaining to signs and signs and also symptoms of leaks

and blockages.

� Simply use the gasoline suggested

by the heater manufacturer.

Other kinds might burn too hot.

� Dispose of embers carefully.

If they�re still heat they can

cause a new fire or perhaps build-up involving CO.

� Ensure most hobs have got shut-off

or isolation valvesWithin our subsequent video of the "boat" in action, a young man steers the tablealong a historic fishing route off of the coast of the former American naval complex--the verycontested space that triggered the land-reclamation movement by Puerto Ricans within the 19705.This land happens to be designated a wildlife preserve, which regrettably, and paradoxically, theunited states Navy uses being a bureaucratic excuse to defer its responsibility for decontaminationand cleanup. As well, the current transfer of ownership has catalyzed unchecked real-estatespeculation in civilian areas while corporate forces rapidly develop the region in a tourist site.

, we wished to improve questions about the terms of the negotiation process, asking who seems tobe counted within this debate and who is excluded.Ultimately and then Contrary to Mr. Gropello'ssimplistic conclusions based on false assumptions, it was actually an ethical imperative for justiceand ecological sustainability that sparked our imaginations. Furthermore, it occurs to us that hiscomplaints, plus a misguided logic concerning "originality" and "authenticity," arise primarily fromhis desire for protecting a smart investment. But what he owns and everything we made are,unquestionably, two very different things.