Transvoyeur
Programme 2006
Part of the Independents Liverpool Biennial 2006
October 2006 - November 2006
| Transvoyeur
Associate Exhibition: Gene Culture 2006 |
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Transvoyeur
Associate Exhibition: Gene Culture 2006, Review - Re-Launch
of the Gene Culture at the Slaughterhouse 73 Gallery.
Co-written by Jean Paul Debuffet, Tony Knox
and Lucia Andrea Sweeney.
Photographer: Tony Knox.
Thursday 14 October 2006.
The ‘Pinky and Perky’ sculpture by Reichardt.
The
controversial ‘Gene Culture’ exhibition
was re-launched at the Slaughterhouse 73 Gallery (Liverpool,
England) on Thursday 12 October 2006. The artists in
the exhibition are Jonathan Aldous, Sigal Avni, John
Bennett, Ken Byers, Sarawut Chutiwongpeti, Kim Fielding,
June Kingsbury, Carrie Riechardt, Andrew Taylor and
Kai-Oi Jay Yung.
Slaughterhouse
73 Gallery, Liverpool, England.
The
exhibition was first unveiled on 09 August 2006 at the
Egg Space Gallery (Liverpool, England). In less than
24 hours it was closed down. The show was curated by
Gaynor Evelyn Sweeney, as Guest Curator, invited by
Headspace. Sweeney selected ten international artists
from 250 submissions as far as Thailand to London. The
standard of submissions was exceptionally high and the
final collection profound and compelling on the subject
of genetic and scientific intervention.
The
management group of the Egg Space contacted Sweeney
and accused her of ‘sensationalism’ by the
selection of work and stated they would be boycotted
by alleged animal rights activists. It was added that
the exhibition was too ‘controversial’ for
the nature of the venue, although for more than twenty
years the Egg Space has asserted to being a gallery.
Yet with this exhibition it censored contemporary art.
The management group of the building and vegetarian
restaurant demanded that all the art work be removed
forthwith on 10 August 2006. As a result, several members
of the original curatorial group from Headspace resigned.
Sweeney
commented to what transpired: “Statements of ‘sensationalism’
are unfounded, because art and science have played an
integral part in the history and evolution of civilisations.
These types of exhibitions, which combine art and science
act as a platform for insight and bring to the forefront
awareness on certain subjects. It furthermore acts as
a conduit on the subject to both scientists and animal
rights activists. Through the freedom of expression
by the artists it helps to address and evaluate such
subjects. It is important for all in the 21st century,
albeit ones role professional or otherwise, to address
certain parameters, as by such we realise the validity
of what we do” (Interview with Jean-Paul Debuffet,
11 August 2006, Art in Liverpool).
The
‘Gene Culture’ exhibition at the Egg Space
Gallery was the launch of a series of projects to come
she is researching. Alex Corina from the Slaughterhouse
73 Gallery, Liverpool, England, has provided the space
to present this work in its full context during the
Independents of the Liverpool Biennial 2006. The next
stage of development of this is an exhibition in Cologne,
Germany, and London, UK.
The
theme of the exhibition is set on the concepts of gene
culture in post modern society. The objectives of the
exhibitions are to provide creative and cultural insight
to the current debates and artistic dialogue expressed
through a range of media.
In
Musings by Michelle Kasprzak, it was further commented
from the closure of the exhibition at the Egg Space,
‘…this could be viewed as a blessing or
a curse. The show will probably live on and travel to
other locations, and if the truism “there’s
no such thing as bad press”. Sweeney commented
‘…the answer is simple … and that
is to open again. This time in another gallery called
the Slaughterhouse in Liverpool, which will be part
of the Independents Liverpool Biennial 2006. The name
is accidental, but rather there is a little bit of irony
and paradox in this’. (Michelle Kasprzak, Musings,
29 August 2006).
It
was further reported in the Daily Post (Liverpool, England),
by Art Critic Phil Keys, who added in terms of the Egg
Space ‘the gallery owners could not be contacted
…’
The
subject is in nature controversial, as it explicates
the unknown and touches on many ethical issues. The
closure of the exhibition was compared in Global Report
to ‘…opposition that Eduardo Kac’s
iconic GFP bunny faced a few years ago when it was due
to appear at the arts festival in France. Shortly before
the exhibition date, the head of the institute where
Alba had been engineered refused to let the rabbit leave,
perhaps fearing the public protest and scrutiny of genetic
engineering that such a show would ignite. Not to mention
Steve Kurtz being accused of bio terrorism for his art
activities’ (Global Report, 31 August 2006).
This
re-launch of at the Slaughterhouse 73 is in a venue
in an upcoming cultural area of area. The gallery itself
is part of a larger initiative by Alex Corina who plays
an active role, both as artists and curator in arts
and culture combined with the current regeneration of
areas in the city of Liverpool.
The
exhibition was received positively at the opening night
with celebrities from the cities cultural community
as the renowned actor, Dean Sullivan and many other
artists, curators from abroad and the members from the
local community.
Ken Byres (Artist), Dean Sullivan (Actor), Carrie Reichardt
(Artist), Gaynor Evelyn Sweeney (Curator of Gene Culture)
and Alex Corina (Director of Slaughterhouse 73 Gallery).
The
artists from the ‘Gene Culture’ were interviewed
by a German film company and Carrie Reichardt presented
a performance intervention on the front of the gallery
space.
Carrie
Reichardt performance intervention at the front of the
Slaughterhouse 73 Gallery.
The
audience explored the diverse exhibits:
-
The strange graphite manifestations of Aldous’
creatures inspired by H. G. Wells.
- Byres` architectural expressioxns transcended in states
of evolutions from geometry to the organic.
Byers
digital creations.
- The image of Chungwongpetti’s visual critique
of eugenics in east and west constructs.
- The dehumanisation in the ‘Creature’ by
Hydrart (Bennett and Fielding) and imbued from Virilio’s
philosophies of the super rationalists and eugenics.
- The fragility of Kingsbury’s road kill, bones
cleaned white and encased into glass sculptures to denote
by human intervention the space the animal once occupied.
Audience
member analysing the art of Kingsbury.
-
Reichardts realistic ‘latex’ sculpture of
the pig’s heads worn as breast augementation,
as commentary of body politics and scientific intervention.
Bemused viewer to the art of Reichardt.
-
Taylor’s wall installation of poetry influenced
by the philosophies of Burroughs, the deconstruction
and reconstruction of cultural explications that audience
members are invited to contribute the evolution of the
text.
Viewers
analyse the poetic wall installation of Taylor.
-
Yungs inscriptions of mark making and digital editions
explored concepts of time and space.
Those
in attendance commented ‘provocative exhibition
on a topical subject’ and ‘one of the best
cultural platforms on genetics’.
The
exhibition is open until Saturday 28 October 2006 at
the Slaughterhouse 73 Gallery, 73 St Mary’s Road,
Garston Village, Liverpool, England. For further information
please contact the Curator, Gaynor Evelyn Sweeney, at
transvoyeuruk@hotmail.co.uk.
