Review Your Research, Making, Curation Strategies, Documentation and Writing
Notes to self from the study guide: Ask yourself which elements, formats, works, recordings, and documents are most appropriate for your ambitious plans, artistic intentions, content, and body of work. I am also asked to edit and select work for formative feedback to present to my tutor.
Research
French philosopher Michel Foucault outlined the concept and principles of heterotopia in his 1967 lecture Of Other Spaces. Heterotopias are defined by their “otherness”—spaces that are different, simultaneously physical and mental, that juxtapose different meanings and uses. Heterotopias represent an intriguing blend of the familiar and the unfamiliar. These spaces appear familiar because they are integrated into a society’s conventional system that connects them to other locations. Yet, they are also unfamiliar because they contradict the principles that sustain these relationships.
Thinking of the wire nest as an ‘other space’ (Foucault, 1984), I want to facilitate reflections, reconsiderations, and reconstructions around the idea of a nest as a home.
Just as Foucault described heterotopias as spaces that juxtapose different meanings, these nests juxtapose natural forms with human-made materials, challenging traditional notions and encouraging new interpretations. Nests traditionally symbolize home, safety, and comfort. The wire nests, through their material and construction, challenge these notions. Wire, a rigid yet transparent material, introduces a duality of protection and confinement, inviting viewers to reconsider what safety means. This aligns with Foucault’s idea of heterotopias as spaces for reflecting and critiquing societal norms.
The material choice of wire emphasizes transparency and rigidity, symbolizing the duality of openness and confinement. This aligns with Foucault’s idea of heterotopias containing oppositional qualities. I also think there is a reference to natural versus artificial: the nest juxtapose the natural world with human-made materials, creating a dialogue between the organic and the constructed.
The nest and exhibition space should transcend traditional viewing by allowing viewers to enter or interact closely with the wire nests. This physical engagement encourages more profound reflection on the concepts of home and confinement. The wire nests become a mental space for viewers to project their ideas and experiences of home, safety, and confinement, facilitating a personal and reflective experience.
In nature, the primary role of nests as structural support for eggs, nestlings, and incubating parents is well known. However, recent research has unveiled these nests’ secondary roles and adaptive features, highlighting their importance in protecting birds from extreme weather conditions. In the arid savannahs of the Kalahari, sociable weaver colonies construct massive communal nests that buffer against scorching heat and freezing temperatures, ensuring a stable environment for breeding and roosting year-round. (recent research my connections and reading about the work of a collective of scientists from the University of Cape Town: sociable weaverproject.com)
Making
Most of the nests were made with raffia, dried grasses and wire. The making process explored weaving processes, some intuitive and others specific methods, as with the e-loops. Nests traditionally symbolize home, safety, and comfort. The wire nests, through their material and construction, challenge these notions. Wire, a rigid yet transparent material, introduces a duality of protection and confinement, inviting viewers to reconsider what safety means.
I will acknowledge artists like Ruth Asawa and Claire Falkenstein
Curation
“You’ll never find in my work any desire to mock or denigrate anyone. I wanted a ceremony that brings people together, that reconciles, but also a ceremony that affirms our Republican values of liberty, equality and fraternity.” Thomas Jolly 28/07/2024 (https://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/articles/cw4yqvegkexo)
Olympic opening, July 2024: The Intersection of Intention and Perception
On Instagram I read : “Jolly told French broadcaster BFM..The idea was to do a big pagan party linked to the gods of Olympus”. It made me question the whole idea of working around intention. Thomas Jolly did intend to celebrate community tolerance, but people took offence. (his IG account is full of negative reactions/comments)
Art exists in a dynamic space where the artist’s intention meets the viewer’s perception. This intersection is where meaning is created. However, this meaning can vary widely between viewers and may not always align with the artist’s original intention. Can we say this situation is a communication failure? Or is it a testament to the richness and complexity of art as a form of expression? I am sure context should matter, but art should always be open to interpretation.
From a philosophical point of view, I ask myself to consider the concept of hermeneutics (the theory of interpretation). This theory suggests that the interpreter’s perspective always influences understanding. This aligns with the idea that an artist’s intention may not always be fully understood but can inspire meaningful engagement. I must consider dialogue around art – my work. I need to know that the viewer, in the end, completes the circle by bringing his/her interpretation. BUT: it should never be a one-way transmission of meaning. This relationship should be dynamic and reciprocal. I learned from this ‘incident’ that context is essential. At the same time, controlling all interpretations is impossible; providing contexts—such as my exploration of heterotopias and the inspiration from sociable weaver nests—can guide viewers toward a deeper understanding of my intention.
The most significant learning, and why I shared this, is to consider creating opportunities for dialogue with my audience, such as artist talks, interactive elements, or written explanations. This can help bridge the gap between intention and perception. There is also something to say about historical context, knowledge and memory, acknowledging that each viewer brings their background and experiences to their interpretation of the work.
The exhibition will be called “Kalahari Hotel 2024 and will be held on the farm, Langvlei, Riebeek West. I will make use at least 2 barns and outside space. A mock up has been contemplated to get a feeling of the space.
Barn and cottage : Main location
Entrance with info on heterotopias and sociable weaver nests. A nest made of raffia and plant material will hang on the wall at the entrance. Inside the barn lights will be used to play with shadow where the huge wire nest will hang from wall onto floor.
Wire wing installation with smaller nests and objects made with wire and raffia will hang suspended from roof
Reflection: In “Kalahari Hotel 2024,” I intend to create a space that fosters reflection and connection. By drawing on the natural architecture of sociable weaver nests and the theoretical framework of heterotopias, I aim to provoke thought and dialogue about our societal structures and the spaces we inhabit. The work is also a homage to the remarkable nests of sociable weavers, inspired by their intricate architecture and scientific research into their multifaceted roles.
If viewers find new meanings or connections within this work, then it has achieved its purpose. Through this exhibition, I hope to create a junction where art, nature, and society intersect, offering a space for contemplation, connection, and perhaps a new understanding of the intricate webs that weave us together. This exhibition explores themes of home, safety, and adaptation through wire sculptures that echo the form and function of these natural marvels.
Documenting and Writing
I want to make use of interactive prompts and ask the following questions to visitors:
What does home mean to you? ( do we link it with the female, the mother- we also have to let go of our kids, kick them out of the nest…)
How do you experience safety and confinement in your own life?
How do these wire structures change your perception of a nest?
Bibliography
Foucault, M, 1967 Of other Spaces: Utopias and Heterotopias. (written as “Des Espace Autres’) published in Architecture /Mouvement/ Continuité in Oct. 1984 (9-page PDF)
Paper provisionally accepted to Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution (https://zivahub.uct.ac.za/articles/dataset/The_large_communal_nests_of_sociable_weavers_provide_year-round_insulated_refuge_for_weavers_and_pygmy_falcons/13042169/1?file=24953141)