Thirteenth International Conference on The Arts in Society

Abstract

This paper is prefaced on the idea of the gesture as a temporal event and potential site of sharing and reciprocity. It considers public social contexts in relation to discursive and subtle acts of gifting, trade and service as creative methods and conduits for exchange through the lens of durational practice and collaborative artworks. The focus of these social situations (art events) is on sharing and exchange, mediated through ephemera (objects and documents) such as a recipe, a ceramic cup for use at a tea break, a flower delivery. These events aim to uncover temporal connections and to create reciprocal relations with publics. Kenneth Bailey, in a talk about ds4si’ Creativity Lab: Public Kitchen in 2016 (University of Auckland), spoke about: “[I>A>E] - Ideas embedded in Arrangements which produce Effects” positing the notion that installation as a “productive fiction” has the power to effect relations and therefore act as an organisational tool in mobilising the social. Taking this concept as a starting point, this paper will explore the potentiality and tactical role of aesthetics and installation in engaging publics in temporary exchange events.