Recently I have been struggling to find a space where a
small group of artists can display their work as a collective exhibition. This
has led me to think more carefully about real estate for artworks.
One option is to document these works online. Online gallery
spaces are becoming increasingly legitimized. However, one must think of the
Internet as a giant database for practically everything that exists. As I look
around my room right now, everything that I own (electronics, furniture, books,
movies, etc.) can also be found online. This characteristic of the Internet
that we take for granted has made it less important for us to actually
experience things first hand. And with that, we have lost the sense of spontaneity
in our lives. If I miss a movie in theaters, I can watch it online at any given
moment. If I miss an art event, I can research and re-watch it online. Such
luxuries, although convenient, cannot be compared to first hand experience. Yet
today, experiencing something in person and online are not all that much
different.
Going back to my own dilemma, this is precisely why I do not
want to document my work online. Whether I like it or not, it will be blogged
about, or tweeted about, or will go on Youtube. However, this online identity
must only serve as supplementary information to the physical object.
