Exhibition Review_Democracy in America

The exhibition “Democracy in America”, curated by Nato Thompson, presented over forty different tactical art projects, expressing their opinion towards democracy in America. Not too serious, nor too frivolous, the exhibition as a whole maintained tension between wit and sarcasm. The artworks mostly focused on the conflict and distortion that appears when the ideal vision comes is is executed in reality and is distributed to the public.
Throughout the whole show was served a new opinion, which had rarely been focused on as an issue in the press. Several artworks were on the side of the minorities, such as women or homosexuals, voicing opposition toward in the hypocrisy of government. Several others claimed facts are distorted or neglected in distribution to the public through televised photographic and written media. Several other pieces showed the discrepancy of authority to the public. While appreciating the exhibition, my interest was focused on the gap between the ideal strategy and the real execution. My interest was also focused on the underlying facts and their distortion in the media.
Comparing and analyzing the two selected artworks; Jon Kessier’s work “The time was now” (2008, mixed media) and Carlos Motta’s “The good life” (2005-2008, 12 channel video installation); would well exemplify the discrepancy between democracy as propaganda and the media as press. Both artworks utilize video as an essential media, but the way it is used is quite different. It can be compared to the two different ways to record and shoot the circumstance and convert it as news. Kessier’s way is similar to the reporter, in that he goes to the actual site at the time of the event and record it through camera and distribute it. Carlos Motta’s way is similar to the moderator or investigator. He interviews people inside circumstances of their opinion and thoughts and distributed them after analyzing their results.
The difference of the two methods grows larger in terms of factuality. Whereas Jon Kessier’s work flatters and distorts the fact through video, Motta’s work stays honest with the medium of video. While Jon Kessier’s work is in real timed like daily news, Motta’s work is in past timed like a documentary.
Jon Kessier’ made a miniature and installed it with video cameras and shown on the TV at the same time. Every miniature dealt with force and menace, somewhat like a troupe or a violator. The miniature and the camera kept moving in the same routine.
Jon Kessier displays sarcasm towards the medium of video in news, implying the inevitable hypocrisy of subjective reporting. As a miniature, Jon’s work enables us to see how our real lives are taken in through the camera. Through the camera, a specific part would be in focus or magnified, and another part would not be shown at all. The viewer would get only limited information. Through the camera the subject is usually settled in focus, so that the viewer is attention is controlled and directed. Not only that, but the camera angles are different, so that the viewer is confused about the fact. Even though the artwork is distorting the fact in physical ways, it works as a metaphor by showing how a fact can be distorted in reporting.
Carlos Motta’s work interviews with citizens of South American countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, Venezuela, and so on, can be considered a fare good democratic way of conveying facts and opinions. The interview was about their ideal democracy and its practical execution. Displayed in the gallery as multi channel video, the viewer receives balanced information of the circumstances. Several pieces of video were shown together, both the people being interviewed and also of the interviewing space and environment of that country.
Carlos Motta is sarcastic. The interview wholly showed the discrepancy of the ideal and the actual unreality of the system. But the video shown revealed a good life, by high rising statues, flags blowing in the wind, and a dog peacefully napping at a park. Through the title of his work “ A Good Life”, he is flattering the democracy of the country.
Another difference of the two works is the relationship between the video and the viewer appears by the way in which they are displayed. Both were multichannel video, but Jon Kessier’s work was gathered in one row, so that the viewer could moderate all at once, whereas Carlos Motta’s work was displayed in several different angles on a chair, so that the viewer could only watch one video at a time. The way Jon Kessier’s video conveyed its message was a good way to show the authority and hypocrisy of broadcasting systems, whereas Carlos Motta’s way was to be a friendly communication channel towards the public. The way the installation induced people to sit down at the chair and watch the videos, was similar to having a conversation at an agora.
Through these artworks, I came to conclude that maybe democracy is just an ideal, which cannot be achieved only through governmental execution but must be pursued by citizens and the leaders. Also I came to the conclusion that video, as a medium, can be both objective and deceptive. On pursuit of democracy, which is the main subject of the exhibition, many of the artworks required participation of the audiences, giving them chances to make their opinions to public, and making the whole exhibition more lively and active as something like a festival. My expectation goes further that video, as being a communication channel of the minorities, would help the execution of democracy.


Referenced websites
http://zine.artcal.net/2008/09/democracy-in-america-at-the-pa.php
http://www.armoryonpark.org/
http://www.carlosmotta.com/
http://www.la-buena-vida.info/about/index.shtml
http://www.jonkessler.com/