Our man at the Turner Prize 2013 - Im going to admit that I initially walked right through Gallery 4. Its an empty room. I thought I was walking through a corridor or ante-room on my way to Tino Sehgals portion of the exhibition. It was only when I found myself at the exit that I realised Id walked right through it. So I went back. Sheepishly. Into the empty white room with small groups of people each in discussion with Turner Prize volunteers. In all of the write ups and reviews and press materials for the show Tino Sehgals piece is spoken about only in so much as its not allowed to be spoken about. The performance Artist does not have an Artists profile video at the end of the exhibition, there is no filming of any sort allowed by anyone in his room and he has asked as much as possible that people go into his section of the exhibition knowing nothing. With that in mind, if youre hoping to make it to the show avoid reading the next section of this post: *SPOILERS* I walked back into the room and was approached by one of the volunteers, she asked me if I would be interested in discussing the market economy with her and the four other people in my group. She told us that if we tell her our thoughts shell give us £2. We each took it in turn to tell her our thoughts and then she gave us a password to say to someone at the exit and theyll give us the money. I left the room wondering is that it?. I understand the premise behind it, the ever changing room of ideas being discussed and the exchange of money for thoughts instead of goods is an interesting theme but I felt it ended the exhibition on a strange note. It may sound odd but I felt particularly let down that each volunteer was wearing an official Turner Prize T-Shirt. I think I would have been able to go with the piece and give it more of a chance if I had felt I was being approached by a complete stranger, in this weird environment, completely out of nowhere. To be wrong-footed by the Artist even if it was only for that split second before I realised what was happening would have made the piece work for me. If I had felt in that moment that I was taking part in some kind of one-off happening rather than a contrived chit chat with someone in a specially made polo shirt I would have been a bit more into it. Overall, with the Prizes tag line How will you react? at the forefront of my mind, I left the room feeling nothing. My reaction was, Im sure, not what the artist intended. One of total ambivalence. SO much so I didnt even want my £2. *END OF SPOILERS* As I left the show I was unable to put my finger on why I felt so unsatisfied by the exhibition. Partly I think the scale of the exhibition was a factor. The specially laid on bar that the visitors began and ended the evening in was in a cavernous room more like a concert venue or big top and the exhibition felt very small and pokey by comparison. My expectations were so high and my excitement at being at the opening was such that maybe it would never have lived up to the hype. However, on leaving the show and mulling it over for a few days Ive found the works have stayed with me. The ideas and the themes have been resonating in my head and in being asked to write these posts Ive found that the show had far more of an effect on me in hindsight that I thought it would. Each Artists contributions are so different and each one is presented as an experience that is particular to this place and time. Because of that, if you get the chance, I highly recommend having that experience for yourself.
Posted on: Sat, 26 Oct 2013 16:30:00 +0000
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