Kathy Forer, Heiko Recktenwald, Sharon Cheslow, Ann Klefstad, and others...
I am wondering if you know of anyone [possibly including
yourselves]
who would be appropriate to invite to participate in
our upcoming (and last)
BaseKamp exhibition. We are extending an invitation mainly
to a range of
individuals who have had experience as art historians,
or as curators.
We've asked everyone to please read over the two pages
of prospectus
(below) before contacting us to either accept or decline
(by Friday, May 26).
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Scott Rigby
BaseKamp
215.592.7288
723 Chestnut St
second floor
Phila, PA 19106
www.basekamp.com
p.s. Please feel free to send a request for the
current version of our interactive cd-rom
(using the contact information above).
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the territorialized�
The final show of the BaseKamp Gallery as such, tentatively scheduled for the second Friday in June (09) 2000.
6:00pm - 8:00pm Opening of �CURATED: deterritorializing the territorialized�
8:00pm til ... BaseKamp Gallery closing party. Live music. Refreshments.
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The BaseKamp invites you to participate in a project/exhibition tentatively scheduled for June 09 2000. The effort that would be required of you is nominal, but we request that you send us confirmation by next Friday May 26 2000, (as we need to measure our responses. We would not decide to host the exhibition unless we receive enough responses, but so far it appears that we will). Please read the invitation below, and respond to either accept or decline as soon as possible.
Challenge:
BaseKamp is inviting a carefully selected body of curators and art historians to choose examples of their ideal selections of two-three art-works or texts that will be de/recontextualized to create new meanings outside of the encoded meanings that the singular works possess in themselves. We are mostly interested in the realization of the idea itself, of drawing a large number of art curators and historians together where their interests frequently overlap. That being, the use of existing artworks/ texts for their sign value in order to form new or historical meanings, or otherwise interesting connections between them. Art historians continue use the standard form of the slide comparison/contrastion, while curators provide similar formal, historical, and/or theoretical connections through the arrangement of works in museums, galleries, and other venues.
Audience:
A random gathering of art enthusiasts, who are interested in considering the curator�s ideal shows (and agendas). With this exhibition we hope to engage a public that is accustomed to considering centripetal, individual artworks, with works (and messages) that connote the centrifugal relations of context and polysemic boundary hopping.
Solution:
Each art historian/curator would provide their two to three selections and at least one paragraph or up to one page of text that will explain and provide insight into their selections. The BaseKamp intends to print the selections on sheets of 8.5�x11� paper, and present them framed and centered in color squares painted directly on the wall, following the perimeter of the gallery. Each colored square will be numbered on the lower right hand corner. The number will correspond with the same numeral in a binder where the explanatory text(s) will be. The binder will also display of a list of the participants (in no particular order). It will be located in the north end of the gallery.
Although the curator/historians� names are shown and promoted in the show, we do not reveal which selections and explanatory texts are whose. Your selections can be as cheeky or serious as you wish. Each participant's selection will be presented as 'anonymous', in order to temporarily bypass any direct competition or intimidation factor that could be stifling to the curator/ historian's vision, and foster the most creative and interesting possible �connections�.
We realize that curators and art historians often make connections between works and/or texts that may not be viable; and often fantasize about their own ideal shows, which may otherwise be impossible. We hope to take advantage of, and provide an outlet for such sparks of inspiration.
Confirmation and Submission Date:
We are giving participants roughly one week to confirm, and two weeks from today to submit their selections. Please contact us by the last Friday of May (26) 2000, to either confirm or decline our invitation. We will then need to receive your ideal selections of two-three art work/ texts, along with your (one paragraph to one page) explanatory text, by the first Friday of June (02) 2000. Please provide as much reference information about the works as possible. If the works are obscure, please enclose a reproduction(s), or some way for us to obtain them. You may contact us via mail, e-mail, telephone (please leave a message on our voice mail), or in person at:
BaseKamp
215.592.7288
723 Chestnut Street
second floor
Phila, PA 19106
there is an email link
on our website:
www.BaseKamp.com
(5/19/2000)
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More BaseKamp Info:
BaseKamp is a four-person collaborative team of artists consisting of David Dempewolf, Leigh Stevens, Justin Matherly, and Scott Rigby.
For a two year intended lifespan, the BaseKamp team has maintained a Fabrication studio, and has directed the non-profit BaseKamp Gallery, which has had a primary focus on the creation, facilitation and promotion of large scale collaborative projects by contemporary artists.
As of July 2000, the BaseKamp intends to dissociate the BaseKamp collaborative team from their Fabrication department and Gallery (while retaining a central BaseKamp office at the same address), in order to focus their efforts on both the collaborative team�s projects and on each of the team-member�s individual projects. BaseKamp Fabrication will discontinue, while many of it�s former activities continue privately. The BaseKamp Gallery as such will also cease to exist, although the space will continue to be used for individual and external collaborative projects.
From this point, the BaseKamp (now as a collaborative team only) intends to remain an independent, transportable organization, able to set up camp at any other location on a per project basis.(5/19/2000)
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