Comments on: 61: Allison Agsten https://openengagement.info/61-allison-agsten/ Tue, 16 Sep 2014 14:38:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.0.10 By: Allison Agsten https://openengagement.info/61-allison-agsten/#comment-79 Thu, 08 May 2014 00:56:06 +0000 https://openengagement.info/home/?p=5539#comment-79 Alicia, I only just now saw that you left a comment on this post, otherwise I would have responded ages ago. Sorry about that! Anyway, YES to what you wrote. Interesting idea… documenting SEA that’s not at the museum then acting as a steward for that documentation. I guess the tricky thing is that at the museum, preservation likely means acquisition of the archive. It’s a big leap for many institutions conceptually, and also in terms of conservation as much of the archive of new work is probably digital. Though I have digital files galore for my past projects, since the work happened at the museum, the archive is seen as a (necessary) bi-product. Whereas the archive of documentation for an offsite project becomes the product itself without an onsite component. Long story short… I think you are on to something, especially if there was a brilliant solution for storing and updating big batches of digital photos, video, etc.

]]> By: Allison Agsten https://openengagement.info/61-allison-agsten/#comment-130 Thu, 08 May 2014 00:56:06 +0000 https://openengagement.info/home/?p=5539#comment-130 Alicia, I only just now saw that you left a comment on this post, otherwise I would have responded ages ago. Sorry about that! Anyway, YES to what you wrote. Interesting idea… documenting SEA that’s not at the museum then acting as a steward for that documentation. I guess the tricky thing is that at the museum, preservation likely means acquisition of the archive. It’s a big leap for many institutions conceptually, and also in terms of conservation as much of the archive of new work is probably digital. Though I have digital files galore for my past projects, since the work happened at the museum, the archive is seen as a (necessary) bi-product. Whereas the archive of documentation for an offsite project becomes the product itself without an onsite component. Long story short… I think you are on to something, especially if there was a brilliant solution for storing and updating big batches of digital photos, video, etc.

]]> By: Allison Agsten https://openengagement.info/61-allison-agsten/#comment-181 Thu, 08 May 2014 00:56:06 +0000 https://openengagement.info/home/?p=5539#comment-181 Alicia, I only just now saw that you left a comment on this post, otherwise I would have responded ages ago. Sorry about that! Anyway, YES to what you wrote. Interesting idea… documenting SEA that’s not at the museum then acting as a steward for that documentation. I guess the tricky thing is that at the museum, preservation likely means acquisition of the archive. It’s a big leap for many institutions conceptually, and also in terms of conservation as much of the archive of new work is probably digital. Though I have digital files galore for my past projects, since the work happened at the museum, the archive is seen as a (necessary) bi-product. Whereas the archive of documentation for an offsite project becomes the product itself without an onsite component. Long story short… I think you are on to something, especially if there was a brilliant solution for storing and updating big batches of digital photos, video, etc.

]]> By: Allison Agsten https://openengagement.info/61-allison-agsten/#comment-232 Thu, 08 May 2014 00:56:06 +0000 https://openengagement.info/home/?p=5539#comment-232 Alicia, I only just now saw that you left a comment on this post, otherwise I would have responded ages ago. Sorry about that! Anyway, YES to what you wrote. Interesting idea… documenting SEA that’s not at the museum then acting as a steward for that documentation. I guess the tricky thing is that at the museum, preservation likely means acquisition of the archive. It’s a big leap for many institutions conceptually, and also in terms of conservation as much of the archive of new work is probably digital. Though I have digital files galore for my past projects, since the work happened at the museum, the archive is seen as a (necessary) bi-product. Whereas the archive of documentation for an offsite project becomes the product itself without an onsite component. Long story short… I think you are on to something, especially if there was a brilliant solution for storing and updating big batches of digital photos, video, etc.

]]> By: Alicia Grullon https://openengagement.info/61-allison-agsten/#comment-78 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 23:37:57 +0000 https://openengagement.info/home/?p=5539#comment-78 Documenting socially engaged projects has much in common with the difficult task of documenting performance art. Many times the documentation produces more knowledge than the live event because it allows time for reflection. When doing a performance art piece, there is no rehearsal time or script. For SEA projects, there is only planning and logistics before show time as well. After having done a project, I learn more about it. The video and photographs act as a debriefing of sorts expanding the conversation, provoking more questions and answering some as well. It is the knowing and interpreting of the documentation that completes any live event. Actually for me, the performance or socially engaged piece is not complete without the archive.

If the museum cannot provide the resources to support a venue off-site, where socially engaged work functions more efficiently, then it can provide the resources to preserve the archive and documentation for future learning. The art historical and anthropological role of the museum is its fundamental function. The gift of SEA projects is that there is no commodity to be sold or traded. They produce something much more valuable: knowledge and insight. To discuss this knowledge in the contemporary market gallery or fair would seem to go against the grain of the SEA archive (the fair and gallery have become centers of monetary investment). But then again, the selling of the archive would help facilitate a living for the SEA artist. But that’s another post….

]]> By: Alicia Grullon https://openengagement.info/61-allison-agsten/#comment-129 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 23:37:57 +0000 https://openengagement.info/home/?p=5539#comment-129 Documenting socially engaged projects has much in common with the difficult task of documenting performance art. Many times the documentation produces more knowledge than the live event because it allows time for reflection. When doing a performance art piece, there is no rehearsal time or script. For SEA projects, there is only planning and logistics before show time as well. After having done a project, I learn more about it. The video and photographs act as a debriefing of sorts expanding the conversation, provoking more questions and answering some as well. It is the knowing and interpreting of the documentation that completes any live event. Actually for me, the performance or socially engaged piece is not complete without the archive.

If the museum cannot provide the resources to support a venue off-site, where socially engaged work functions more efficiently, then it can provide the resources to preserve the archive and documentation for future learning. The art historical and anthropological role of the museum is its fundamental function. The gift of SEA projects is that there is no commodity to be sold or traded. They produce something much more valuable: knowledge and insight. To discuss this knowledge in the contemporary market gallery or fair would seem to go against the grain of the SEA archive (the fair and gallery have become centers of monetary investment). But then again, the selling of the archive would help facilitate a living for the SEA artist. But that’s another post….

]]> By: Alicia Grullon https://openengagement.info/61-allison-agsten/#comment-180 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 23:37:57 +0000 https://openengagement.info/home/?p=5539#comment-180 Documenting socially engaged projects has much in common with the difficult task of documenting performance art. Many times the documentation produces more knowledge than the live event because it allows time for reflection. When doing a performance art piece, there is no rehearsal time or script. For SEA projects, there is only planning and logistics before show time as well. After having done a project, I learn more about it. The video and photographs act as a debriefing of sorts expanding the conversation, provoking more questions and answering some as well. It is the knowing and interpreting of the documentation that completes any live event. Actually for me, the performance or socially engaged piece is not complete without the archive.

If the museum cannot provide the resources to support a venue off-site, where socially engaged work functions more efficiently, then it can provide the resources to preserve the archive and documentation for future learning. The art historical and anthropological role of the museum is its fundamental function. The gift of SEA projects is that there is no commodity to be sold or traded. They produce something much more valuable: knowledge and insight. To discuss this knowledge in the contemporary market gallery or fair would seem to go against the grain of the SEA archive (the fair and gallery have become centers of monetary investment). But then again, the selling of the archive would help facilitate a living for the SEA artist. But that’s another post….

]]> By: Alicia Grullon https://openengagement.info/61-allison-agsten/#comment-231 Tue, 18 Mar 2014 23:37:57 +0000 https://openengagement.info/home/?p=5539#comment-231 Documenting socially engaged projects has much in common with the difficult task of documenting performance art. Many times the documentation produces more knowledge than the live event because it allows time for reflection. When doing a performance art piece, there is no rehearsal time or script. For SEA projects, there is only planning and logistics before show time as well. After having done a project, I learn more about it. The video and photographs act as a debriefing of sorts expanding the conversation, provoking more questions and answering some as well. It is the knowing and interpreting of the documentation that completes any live event. Actually for me, the performance or socially engaged piece is not complete without the archive.

If the museum cannot provide the resources to support a venue off-site, where socially engaged work functions more efficiently, then it can provide the resources to preserve the archive and documentation for future learning. The art historical and anthropological role of the museum is its fundamental function. The gift of SEA projects is that there is no commodity to be sold or traded. They produce something much more valuable: knowledge and insight. To discuss this knowledge in the contemporary market gallery or fair would seem to go against the grain of the SEA archive (the fair and gallery have become centers of monetary investment). But then again, the selling of the archive would help facilitate a living for the SEA artist. But that’s another post….

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