Relational Aesthetics:
Aesthetic theory consisting in judging artworks on the basis of the inter-human relations which they represent, produce or prompt. -Nicolas Bourriaud, Relational Aesthetics
"The Land [is] to be cultivated as an open space, though with certain intentions toward community, toward discussion, and toward experimentation in [various] fields of thought," according to an official and no doubt deliberately vague-statement of intent that makes clear that other fields besides art are part of the experiment. So, what is the Land? A sculpture garden? A huge artist-run space emphasizing interdisciplinary and collaborative practices? A commune in search of new forms of being in the world? Or is it, if not a collaborative artwork by Tiravanija and his colleagues, then at least an extension of his practice beyond the institution? Probably all of these things, but not quite in the way we tend to understand them in Europe and the United States, where the very idea of a commune simultaneously gives rise to a murky nostalgia and to skepticism, even to a sense of revulsion-conjuring thoughts of monstrous gurus, psychological terror, and sexual oppression. The truth, however, couldn't be less dark."
READ:
The lay of the land: an experiment in art and community in Thailand. ArtForum June 2005
Interview with Rirkrit Tiravanija
VISIT:
The Land, website
