We’ve had many a Slow Manifesto here to take in the Slow Life culture on jorg&olif recently: food, swimming and even blogging. But what about art?
Well jorg&olif found the perfect group to talk to: the Slow Art Collective, a.k.a. the SAC, a collaborative enterprise founded by Tony Adams, Chaco Kato, Ash Keating and Dylan Martorell.
Based in Melbourne, Australia, the SAC have been practicing what they describe as the Slow Art philosophy since 2004, after art critic Robert Hughes made an inspiring dinner speech at the Royal Academy of Arts:
“What we need more of is slow art: art that holds time as a vase holds water: art that grows out of modes of perception and making whose skill and doggedness make you think and feel; art that isn’t merely sensational, that doesn’t get its message across in ten seconds, that isn’t falsely iconic, that hooks onto something deep-running in our natures.”
A call to action, the SAC formed and developed a framework of principles for their art:
- Take time to observe everyday life carefully.
- Choose simple materials that connect with the artist’s life.
- Focus on a process of art making rather than object making. The work always changes subtly, and grows like a living organism.
- Create art works on site from zero. Spend time on site to experience the space, physically and internally. When the exhibition finishes, go back to zero. Seek the meaning of artwork that doesn’t last.
- Interact with other artists and society. Blur the boundaries between artist and audience.
The result has been fabulous displays, the first major project of which was TS2 (Transfer Station 2) where an installation was put together with donations from two e-waste recycling companies. 17 tonnes of toxic materials including network-cards, cables, keyboards, disk drives, motors, fans, heat sinks, brushes and one thousand, one hundred and eighty-seven mother boards could be walked and scrunched on, re-visioning the dangers of mass landfill. (The materials were carefully collected and recycled afterwards.)
The latest project, Waterworks: Mapping the Yarra, that came about early this Spring existed to raise awareness about issues of water and sustainability, took place in the historic ArtPlay building in Melbourne, as part of the Moomba Festival. As Tony Adams explained, “The 20 metre long installation was like a diorama of the river mapping its meandering course from the mountains to the bay, and was constructed from waste materials collected directly from the waterways. Throughout the festival, we held paper boat making workshops where children made boats and sailed them down the ‘river’.”
Chaco Kato’s exploration into childhood, ecology and politics is well worth viewing with “art that is not just ‘Slow’ in speed and laid back, but art in geological time: as evolution through ‘renovation’ and ‘transformation’ towards to our future society”.
Keep a look out for SAC’s future projects in Melbourne and Japan.
