[Nettime-bold] oVERstation at Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art prese

oVERstation at Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art present:

From: "sinikka olsen"
Date: Fri Mar 8, 2002 6:58 pm
Subject: Dear Rirkrit

Dear Rirkrit!

As you maybe have read in the last mails the oVERstation-room project has got some problems.

CENSORING
There is a problem that we cant do whatever we want in the room. It should be a "free-pleace" where everything could happen, but it doesnt function that way- because Astrup Fearnley has their own image to take care of. This got clear last week as Hjørdis had arranged an artist to come and do a performance, and the Astrup Fearnley stopped it. It was a painful situation for us to tell the guy not to come.

ECONOMY
We have no budget.For this reason it is difficult for us to have arrangements that costs- and a lot of projects do cost some money.

THE ENTRANCE MONEY
Another problem is the entrance money the museum collects. The oVERstation-members fortunately get it for free, but every other person who wants to take a rest in the room, or visit me when I have my "cakelosj" have to pay.

Because of all this, the spirit is ebbing and the room is "dying". The group has had a meeting and talked about it, and what still could happen in the room. We also decided to meet Kvaran (the director of AF) and talk about the situation.

We wonder what you think. Have you any experience whit a room like this before, lasting 3 months? And how much do you think you still are involved? It has also been an idea makeing the room more a project-room.-Taking away the carpet, paint the walls white and let people work there on their own. Andrea Krogsnæs at the museum of contemporary art thought it could be a good solution.

With sincere regards your friends in Oslo

From: "rirkrit tiravanija"
Date: Sun Mar 10, 2002 3:18 pm
Subject: Re: [oVERstation] Dear Rirkrit

Dear Sinikka,

I have been with Jan this weekend in Berlin and he has told me the problem... it is to be expected, as always institutions are not able to cope with being free and really open. In the case of Astrup Fernly, they are private, which some how should be able to give them a better chance to open up .... but as we now see they can not.

It is a good idea to have the discussion with the director about the situation and be reasonable with him, and see how this plays out. I think it is a good idea as well to change the space, in relationship to the inabilities of the Museum to cope with the situation in the room... and since it is still running... otherwise, take it apart and empty it out and leave it as a blank space... since its function has ceased to function. I understand the energy flow and economic situations well... It is hard going to keep it up and I think everyone has done well to have gone this far... I am very attatched to what is going on, but it is for the group to take over... and the dicisions are yours to make... I belive that the result will be a reflection of the situation we have to deal with... but it is also the reality I often have to deal with... Perhaps a larger debate on how or what a museum function is to art and to the audience would be a good discussion to have in the room, before it changes... and address the idea weather Art should change to fit into such a Museum or should the Museum should change to be able to deal with the idea of making such Art... It is the idea of the exhibition... The passenger will now be without a bus to travel the limits of what their experiences could be!

Please do let everyone know that I am here and stand with you all the way as to your decisions... change the room or what ever it may have to be...but make it sure that it addresses the problems we have and that the Museum has to be responsible for its decisions and that they have to explained to their audience and all of us why they can not accept certain conditions of art... I dislike the discussions of censorship and I dislike to point my fingers at others inability to deal with many things we have tolive with in the world... its there right and their decision... but they should explained it out in an articulate manner... and not dismiss it.

My best to everyone,

Rirkrit