What Is Art?
It's always been one of my favourite questions. "Is that art?" "Yeah, but is it Art?"
The boundaries are being explored again by "Marco Evaristti, the Chilean-born bad boy of the Danish art scene." (It was on the internet, now it is in the museum.) Goldfish in a blender. Do you push the button?
My contention is that it is Art. Particularly relevant and timely Art. It gives the opportunity to the visitor to examine in realtime what comes up when he is presented with this event potential. Have you ever come face to face with that dark part that says, "Go ahead, push the button. They're only goldfish"? Is what first rises the feeling of protection for the fish? "Gimme that baggie out of your purse! I'm takin' these fish home." It gives opportunity for the viewer to gain further insight into Self. That is (part of) the definition of Art.
As expectable, "Friends of Animals filed a complaint against the artist as well as the director of the museum, Peter S. Meyer, for cruelty to animals." The organization got an injunction "to cut the blenders' electricity so that visitors would not be tempted to kill the goldfish." What do I hear in that view? That the Friends of Animals assumes that the visitors would be tempted to kill. And that the organizations first objective was to keep people from being tempted. They didn't get an injunction to make the museum take the fish out of the blender. They didn't get an injunction to abolish the exhibit. They just didn't want people to feel that feeling of being tempted which they knew people would feel.
Interesting. Now we know how it brought those people closer to Self.
My partner maintains that the piece is unfinished. He suggests that,were someone to push the button, a Big Hand ought to slap 'em on the back of the head and a Big Voice say "You knew what was gonna happen! Cheeze'n'rice, what's wrong with you?!?" I like it. It's a different piece, but I like it.
The difference lies in the actuality of having to look at the result of "transform[ing] the fish into a runny liquid." And deal with that. And perhaps dealing with the reactions of other visitors in the room. Maybe it should be in a one-person-at-a-time room. I wonder if that would change the number of times the button is pushed...
Photo (no button has been pushed) suitable for PhotoShop-ing or, perhaps for Industrial Signage?
Article including standard artist's protestations. (Stop talking and stick to the Art, Marco.)
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