▽ DAN GRAHAM

2-Way Mirror Cylinder Bisected By Perforated Stainless Steel by Dan Graham is the curious outdoor pavilion that currently obstructs the seductive courtyard of the Bluecoat chambers. Evocative and engaging, this piece discusses the psychological effects of architecture on the viewer, challenging their perception and comprehension of both interior and exterior spaces.  Graham approaches the biennial theme of Hospitality through an exploration of how public spaces can either seduce us or alienate us.

There were several attributes of Graham’s piece, which were reminiscent of other works that I had seen during the biennial. The fact that it is public pavilion made it evocative of Doug Aitken’s The Source; both pieces are on an initial encounter, architectural and have a dialogue with their surrounding space. On the other hand, I also it possessed some parallels to Oded Hirsch’s The Lift and its mirrored surface was a conspicuous similarity. However, on a more profound level I feel both Hirsch and Graham’s pieces have one distinct parallel – they both initially appear to lack logic and meaning, but through the context in which they appear and the way that people react to them, they become intelligible.  The mirrors within the pavilions also recalled a major theme inspired within the Kohei Yoshiyuki exhibition that I had attended a few weeks ago, as the unexpected reflections produced by the piece’s mirrors explore the voyeuristic act of watching oneself and others simultaneously. This theme of voyeurism was central to the photographic pieces by Yoshiyuki, which currently reside in the Open Eye gallery, also as a part of the biennial.

Stepping into the pavilion myself, I felt extremely uncomfortable and trapped, but then again I have never been partial to confined spaces. What caused me the most apprehension was the feeling of being physically constricted but at the same time, because there is no roof, being able to observe the boundless vastness of the sky above me. It was as if the piece had took away some of my physical freedom, but simultaneously allowed me to observe the limitless space that existed outside of the pavilion. It was as though I was being tantalised by the piece, as I was able to observe a boundless degree of physical space that I did not at the time possess. The whole experience left me feeling rather disorientated but it had thus clearly opened my mind to the physiological effect that architecture and space can have on my own being. The mirrored surface of the pavilion prompted further contemplation of my form and how it inhabited the space. What I had ultimately drawn from the piece was that it has a conspicuous centralisation around ‘self’ and how one is physically and mentally stimulated by tangible space.

▽ PATRICK MURPHY

Patrick Murphy’s Belonging is an engaging response to this year’s biennial theme Hospitality. Around 150 brightly coloured birds adorn both the interior and exterior of the Walker art gallery in a laudable attempt to denote the nature of impermanence, as well as the concept of the uninvited guest.

Commonly regarded as a familiar eye sore, a nuisance and banished from city centres, pigeons are utilised as a societal symbol within Murphy’s piece to comment on both acceptance and marginalisation.  Murphy contradicts the typical urban context of pigeons in this piece – he depicts them as colorful, welcome visitors, evidently challenging the inhospitable reception they tend to receive. The pigeons can be seen to represent any social group or individual who is unable to find a place of innate belonging and acceptance, as well as those who frequently feel inclined to take ‘flight’. I believe that the piece not only addresses the concept of belonging in a physical sense, but in a physiological and emotional sense also. For instance, one may feel that they physically belong somewhere, like their hometown or place of residence, but mentally or emotionally they may feel differently; in other words, it is possible that a person could be discriminated or alienated in a place that they physically belong.  Despite the aesthetic artificiality of the piece and its initial sense of playfulness, there are obviously some profound and moving messages within it. It is certainly a shame that the aesthetic does not initially promote this to the viewer. I feel that the playful aesthetic, which is primarily evoked by the lurid array of colours it possesses, may be liable to falsely convincing viewers that it is more of a novelty piece than it is an engaging and evocative one.

In a sociological sense I also feel that the piece is a response to hierarchy, as being a familiar sighting within the city, the pigeons can be regarded as an emblem of commonplace, and thus the everyday working class individual. With these arguable symbols of the working class infesting the Victorian architecture of the Walker we are reminded that the accessibility of the gallery has developed since it was first established in 1877. During the Victorian era the working class individual would obviously be less welcome to a gallery such as Walker than they are in present day, where anyone regardless of social background, age or culture can take advantage of its engaging collections.

Having recently visited the Walker and having seen this piece in the flesh I believe it is unquestionable that Murphy’s lurid flock of artificial birds have a conspicuous presence amongst the striking Victorian architecture of the Walker and William Brown Street.  I just hope that the conspicuous aesthetic adopted by Murphy within this piece does not distract its viewers from the profundity and evocative nature of its interesting sociological context.