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The Wrong Place (Pocket / Bag / Suitcase) ‘But what is a ‘wrong’ place? How does one recognise it as such, as opposed to a ‘right’ place? What do we really mean by these qualifying adjectives? Is being in the wrong place the same thing as being out of place? And what are the effects of such mis/displacements for art, subjectivity, and locational identities?In light of the intensified mobilisation of bodies, information, images, and commodities on the one hand, and the greater and greater homogenisation and standardisation of places on the other (which, by the way, facilitates the smooth, unimpeded mobilisation and circulation of these bodies, information, images and commodities), I continue to wonder whether the impact, both positive and negative, of the spatial and temporal experiences that such conditions engender not only in terms of cultural practice but more basically for our psyches, our sense of self, our sense of well-being, our sense of belonging to a place and a culture.' Miwon Kwon, The Wrong Place. How many artists are there in Liverpool? Who are they? Where are they? Are you one? What’s in your pocket? As part of The Wrong Place we are developing an on-going archive open to every artist in Liverpool. We are asking each one to submit an item that represents them and their artistic practice in some way - the only constraint is that the object has to fit in their pocket. The archive aims to draw a picture of all the individual artistic activity in the city - with the possible contents of a pocket representing the individual intimately as an artist negotiating the spaces around him. We’re not looking for artworks per se - we want to see something about you, what you carry around, what represents you and your work best. If you’d like to submit something to the Pocket archive simply drop it in to SITE along with your name, email address and a 12-word statement about your work. Bag Each week during The Wrong Place we will be inviting different groups of artists to present themselves and their work. Bag is a step up from Pocket - exploring some of the different relationships and networks in the city’s art scene in a social, playful and active context. The evenings will be articulated as micro-exhibitions, and groups will show alongside each other at each event - all the work has to be brought here quickly and easily, and it may or may not stay; this element of the project is about being based and integrated as an artist in the city. Suitcase The third element of the show is suitcase - an exhibition of artists moving in and out of cities. Featuring work that explores different ways to negotiate travel, architecture, audience and locality, all the work in the show playfully considers a sense of place and non-place - from sitting in your car at the traffic lights to the conceptual borders we compose on the world; from re-working the endless language of packaging that surrounds us to the equally endless mundane jobs we perform in order to pursue our aspirations. Suitcase also considers the importance of travel for artists - moving from one place to another with the aim of presenting and re-presenting new ideas based on a fleeting idea of a place and a consistent experience of movement. Suitcase features artists from Liverpool, Plymouth, London, Munich and Los Angeles. |
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