FORUM 2

20 Feb 2013
The readings for the second forum provided a perspective on contemporary institutional critique and an alternative model of socially engaged practice. The texts offered a theoretical background for the second stage of the forum, in which we participated in the practical discussion of specific works. Each forum member presented a specific artist’s work to the group by way of internet images, article or video.  Following each presentation, the group collectively negotiated the position of each work within the map. A question that emerged from the discussion in the first part of the forum was: “If art does not designate itself as such, at what point is it art? Who decides?”
Forum 2 Texts: Matthew David Rana, Anthony Marcellini: Notes toward a Non-anthropocentric Social Practice  (2012) Brian Holmes: Extradisciplinary Investigations. Towards a New Critique of Institutions  (2007) Claire Bishop, “Viewers As Producers.” Introduction. Participation (London: Whitechapel, 2006
Text-Topic Map	‘Text-Topic map’ is a static map designed to show our diverse research interests by extracting topics from each text material that AlterForum has studied and discussed. It is expected to show the spectrum of research topics of each text and is furthered to show relationships among different texts in terms of research topic in their superimposition. 6 topics are extracted so far and expected to be consolidated in line with following forums and discussions: Relational Aesthetics Participation Social realism Social activism Social engagement Institutional critique The below chart shows references of the texts described in the text-topic map.
1.    Forum texts Author Title 1st 29 Jan 2013 Stephen Willats The Transmitted Picture Seeking Consistency Willats 1 Communication in Art Practice Willats 2 Object-Based Consciousness Willats 3 Art Practice: from Object to Interaction Willats 4 Gene Ray On Conditions of Anti-Capitalist Art: Radical Cultural Practices and the Capitalist Art System Ray 1 2nd 20 Feb 2013 Brian Holmes Extradisciplinary Investigation: Towards a New Critique of Institutions Holmes 1 Mathew David Rana &Anthony Marcellini Notes Toward a Non-Anthropocentric Social Practices Rana 1 2.     Appendix texts Author Title 1st 29 Jan 2013 Claire Bishop Antagonism and Relational Aesthetics Bishop 1 Liam Gillick A Response to Claire Bishop’s “Antagonism and Relational Aesthetics” Gillick 1 Karen Bernier-Cast Gargoyles, Kisses and Clowns: A Study of Carnivalesque Male Urinals and Restrooms Cast 1 Rikke Hansen Things vs Objects Hansen 1 Guy Brett Lygia Clark: In Search of the Body Guy 1 2nd 20 Feb 2013 Radical Culture Research Collective(RCRC) A Very Short Critique of Relational Aesthetics RCRC 1
The positioning maps below reflect group work from Alterforum 1 and 2, respectively. Each diagram shows slightly different systems of orientation, related to the relevant readings for each session. Positioning Map 1 evaluates art practice in terms of authorship and the way an audience experiences the work. Positioning Map 2 locates specific art works in relation to audience participation and the extent to which the work relies of the ‘realm of human relations’, referred to here as extradisciplinary.
Positioning Map 1	Positioning Map 2
The chart below contains specific artworks presented by forum members in AlterForum 2, which we collectively located on the second Positioning Map.
Artist Name Title Year  Forum Member Jess Dobkin The Lactation Station Breast Milk Bar 2006 Steve Cyprien Gaillard The Recovery of Discovery 2011 Alex Scott Snibbe Shadow Bag 2005 Ying SUPERFLEX Gurana Power Factory 2003 Saejin Choi Pratchaya Phintong Give More Than You Take 2010 Saejin Choi Rirkrit Tiravanija Untitled / pad-thai 1990 Sarah John Shankie Not a meal without conversation 2012 catherine Lise Bjorne Linnert Desconocida unknown 2005 Vigdis Vigdis Storsveen DeFence 2011-2013 Vigdis The Hinterlands Manifest Destiny – training 2011-2012 Rachel Gabriel Orozco Ping Pond Table  1998 Lauren
On to AlterForum 3