Time itself, stretching out at a leisurely pace and thereby allowing works to evolve over it, is the focus of a new exhibition at Brussels’s Independent Régence with Cally Spooner, Ryan Gander and Mark Geffriaud.
The three artists, born between the late 70s and early 80s and all represented by Paris’s gb agency, often have multiple readings and links by association at the centre of their work. The pieces shown in Time Line all employ slow passages of time in their construction.
Ryan Gander, born in Chester and now living and working between London and Somerset, often places his work in a theoretical space which exists between readings and set meanings, inviting the viewer to form free associations, which, viewer to viewer, may never be fully the same—this could be said for many works, although it is a conscious and emphasised point within Gander’s. Time stretches out alongside his practice, and his inspirations—taken from his varied interests in architecture, design, conversational anecdote and everyday situations—come together and move apart at various points in time. Works can be seen within the timeframe of Gander’s full practice, linking new pieces with those previously viewed and analysed, thereby always possessing a moving set of definitions.
Fellow British artist Cally Spooner’s And You Were Wonderful, On Stage existed over a two-year period initially as a performance at Stedelijk Museum, the Tate Modern and Performa. The work features “technical failures” by stars including Beyonce, Lance Armstrong and Michael Gove—some, albeit, a little more despised for their shortcomings than others, Queen Bey has escaped pretty unscathed from the public wrath compared to Mr Gove—addressing moments at which their language has been used as a tool for the manipulation of truth. The piece takes its cue from the brutality of the 21st century keyboard warrior, with comments from Youtubers reformed in a libretto throughout the performance and subsequent five films.
Paris-based Mark Geffriaud works with objects which themselves hold evidence of the passage of time, his Sleeper 1 for example offers the story of a section of New York’s High Line sleeper rail, turned into graphite powder through carbon 14 technology. The works often link back to technology and machinery, which in its 20th century time of discovery would have been at the peak of innovation. Within these works, technological development, old and new lose their strict timeline, items returned to the source in some cases, and referencing back and forth between past and present.
‘Time Lines: Ryan Gander, Cally Spooner, Mark Geffriaud’ shows from 27 October until 17 December 2016 at Independent Régence. All images Courtesy the artist and gb agency, Paris
