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<p><b><font color="#006699" size="5">ANTHOLOGY OF ART</font> </b></p>
<p><b>Jochen Gerz</b><br>
<br>
<b>The Anthology of Art</b> <br>
<b>Art and Theory in Dialogue</b>.<br>
<br>
The Anthology of Art offers an internet-based platform for dialogue between
artists and art theorists from all over the world. Its theme is the vision of
art and its relationship to theoretical discourse.<br>
<br>
The appropriation of art by its institutions has shown that art and discourse
are interconnected, placing equal emphasis on both theoretical reflection and
on the work of art itself. Contemporary art reflects the conditions of its own
production and promotion.<br>
<br>
Instead of presuming the connection between production and theory, the Anthology
of Art is investigating, and demonstrating it. At the same time, it confronts
the global medium of the Internet with traditional relationships within the
international art. As a result, this experiment provides information about contemporary
artistic process.<br>
<br>
<br>
<b>The Game</b><br>
In the beginning, six artists and six theorists were invited to contribute to
the Anthology of Art. The artists chose one of their own images, while the theorists
wrote a short text (1 - 3 pages) in their native language or in English, both
answering the same question:<br>
<br>
"In the context of contemporary art, what is your vision of a yet unknown
art?"<br>
<br>
The twelve contributions - either images or text - are accessible on the Internet
for only two weeks. Each participant invites a successor to send in a replacement
submission, either an image or text. In this way, the web site is continuously
updated and no more than twelve contributions will appear on the Anthology's
site at any given time. The rotation of contributions will continue until October
2002.<br>
</p>
<p><br>
At the completion of the project, all contributions will be published. The final
Anthology of Art will comprise 312 different contributions, 156 images and 156
texts.<br>
<br>
<br>
<b>The Investigation</b><br>
Beyond compiling a representative collection of contemporary theory, the intention
is to investigate a production process in dialogue form, without the initiators'
interference. It is assumed today that art itself is no longer being questioned.
On the contrary: every word about art tends to transform itself into art as
well. The Anthology of Art tests the limits of this trend. The question is:
can a large number of independent authors produce a meaningful work as a whole?
Will this form of production reflect a global society more adequately than traditional,
curated models of presentation? <br>
</p>
<p><br>
<br>
<b>The Anthology of Art</b> <br>
The year long process of developing the Anthology ends in October 2002 and will
coincide with the opening of the new library of the Academy of Fine Arts in
Braunschweig. Six months later, a printed version of the Anthology of Art will
be published, including all images and texts.<br>
<br>
<b>Summary</b><br>
The aim of this work in progress is to forge a new dialogue between art and
theory. Members of a heterogeneous international community will be the authors
and curators of the Anthology. Existing contacts will grow; unexpected relationships
will be initiated. <br>
<br>
The international and interdisciplinary claim of contemporary art has often
been taken for granted. It will now be questioned by simultaneous, ephemeral
and aleatoric confrontations of different regions of the world, no longer merely
from centres or peripheries, no longer from either naive or informed perspectives.<br>
<br>
<br>
<b>Organization</b> <br>
Hochschule für Bildende Künste Braunschweig - Braunschweig School
of Art/Germany <br>
<br>
<b>Project Team</b><br>
- Hochschule für Bildende Künste Braunschweig, Institut für Kunstwissenschaft,
Prof. Horant Fassbinder, Heike Wetzig, Deborah Phillips (translations), Christoph
Behm (site administration)<br>
- Université Rennes 2, Haute Bretagne, Département des Arts plastiques,
Dr. Marion Hohlfeldt, and students<br>
- Dr. Sigrid Pawelke (Paris)<br>
<br>
<b>Partners</b><br>
<a href="http://www.lettre.de" target="_blank">- Lettre International</a><font color="#999966">,
<font color="#FFFFFF">Berlin</font></font><br>
<a href="http://www.evensfoundation.be" target="_blank">- Fondation Evens</a><font color="#999966">,
<font color="#FFFFFF">Antwerp</font></font><br>
<a href="http://www.eku.de">- eku interactive e. K</a><font color="#999966"><a href="http://www.eku.de">.</a>
<font color="#FFFFFF">Berlin</font></font><br>
<a href="http://www.ubka.uni-karlsruhe.de/hylib/virtueller_katalog.html" target="_blank">-
Universität Karlsruhe (TU)</a><font color="#999966">, <font color="#FFFFFF">Virtuelle
Bibliothek der UB</font></font><br>
- <a href="http://www.advanced-visions.de" target="_blank">advanced visions
Design & Mediaagentur</a><font color="#999966">, <font color="#FFFFFF">Braunschweig</font></font><br>
<br>
<b>Funder</b><br>
Stiftung Niedersachsen, Germany <font color="#999966"><a href="http://www.stnds.de" target="_blank">www.stnds.de</a></font></p>
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