Different Perspective (Contest/Exhibition) 2012, intallation, variable dimensions
By Daniel Visan - winner of the sculpture (awarded by the jury)
By Willem Van Gucht - winner of the iPad (6.146 likes)
By Tijs Van den Berghe - winner of a 100 euro gift card (206 comments)
By Nadine Soreyn - winner of a 100 euro gift card (92 comments)
By Erna Franssens & Sven Goyvaerts - winners of a 100 euro gift card (17 comments each)
Other works sent to the gallery by contestants
By Vince Pieraerd
By Carine Janssens
By Pieter Brosens
By Treeg Sob
By Petra Aerts
By Peter Raedschelders
By Paul Michiels
By Arachne
By Maria Nevelsteen
By Ann Vanhee
By Ann Vanhee
By Gezabo Coebosstinoff
By Geert Verbeke
The new project of the Romanian artists' duo Cristian Bors and Marius Ritiu consists of two parts: a contest and an exhibition. For practical information regarding contest and exhibition, see text below.
Different Perspective aims to be a continuation of the projects How to Become Famous in One Month, realized in September 2010 at Gallery Marion De Cannière (North), Nassaustraat 34, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium and Study for "Different Perspective" commissioned by Middelheim Museum, Antwerp, Belgium and Klein Antwerpen for the exhibition DE SOKKEL # 3. (06.05.2012 - 16.09.2012).
The contest is not another 'Canvas Collection' competition, nor does it want to ridicule any art competition or contestant. The contest is meant as an experiment to gauge the power of commercialism in the art world and reveal the complexity of 'status'.
To gauge the power of commercialism, Bors and Ritiu mount a true advertising campaign for their contest. They use present-day social media like Facebook to canvass for contestants and launch widespread publicity in newspapers, radio channels and public institutions. Bors and Ritiu want to see how many people they can convince to participate at their contest. They also want to reveal the hesitation generally felt by artists to participate at a contest. On the one hand, the contestant wants to show his/her work to a professional jury and audience. On the other hand, the contestant fears their judgement.
Bors and Ritiu have taken this hesitancy into account and have tried to overcome this initial resistance by imposing hardly any restrictions at all. By allowing every submitted work of art to be included in their own exhibition at Gallery Marion De Cannière (South), Pourbusstraat 3, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium, they make the contest very accessible.
The contestants' hesitancy has possibly to do with status. The contestants fear their reputation as an artist will suffer from the jury judgment. However, by not entering well-established contests, artists may also endanger their status. As an artist, you should be present at all events which could be beneficial.
The contest organized by Cristian Bors and Marius Ritiu is not well-established (yet). Nevertheless, a professional jury of museum directors, curators, artists, gallery owners and collectors will judge the submitted works of art. Can any self-respecting artist risk NOT being present at this contest? Besides, regardless the judgment of the jury, every work of art will be shown in a genuine contemporary art gallery in the famous 'South' quarter of Antwerp ('het Zuid'). A unique opportunity indeed!
Not only the contestants expose themselves in this project. In fact, all parties involved are exposed: first of all Cristian Bors and Marius Ritiu themselves. As the organizers of this contest they have to recourse to commercial means and advertising stratagems. This could endanger their status as an artists' duo. To show they really do not care about their status, they make their own work of art, i.e. the sculpture Study for "Different Perspective", the subject matter of the contest and they are even prepared to give it away as a prize. This strategy is put into perspective by the fact that they award a study (cf. the title of their work of art!) as the first prize.
Also the professional jury is exposed by this experiment. Why do the jury members want to be engaged in this project? Does their judgment carry more weight than the 'likes' by the Facebook users? Why is a jury needed when every submitted work of art will be included in the exhibition anyhow?
Even the gallery owner puts herself at risk: will the submissions be works of art? Will they be up to standard? These are questions that eventually are to be answered by the audience - thereby exposing themselves as connoisseurs of art.
The project by Cristian Bors and Marius Ritiu is meant as a 'true' social platform, i.e. 'in the flesh' and not virtually on the internet. The round table jury will be one happy crowd discussing art. The gallery will be turned into an alchemist's cabinet where a risky experiment is being conducted. Hopefully the experiment will be successful, but anyway, it must lead to something NEW.
Christien Deblaere, interview Cristian Bors and Marius Ritiu, August 10, 2012.
Practical Information
Different Perspective (Contest/ Exhibition)
The idea is to organize a contest during 2 months (15.08.12 - 15.10.12) which will be followed by an exhibition at Gallery Marion De Cannière (South), Pourbusstraat 3, 2000 Antwerp. The exhibition opens on the 25th of October 2012 and ends the 1st of December 2012.
1. The Contest
Subject matter of the contest is the sculpture Study for "Different Perspective" situated in Stadspark, Antwerp, Belgium.
In order to participate in the contest, applicants have several possibilities:
- To go to Stadspark and take a picture of themselves and the sculpture. We encourage the contestants to document non-intrusive interventions around the sculpture.
- Create works of art related to the sculpture (there are no restrictions concerning mediums).
Afterwards, the applicants must upload the image(s) of their work on the following link:
www.facebook.com/CristianBors.MariusRitiu or send them to the address of the gallery: Gallery Marion De Cannière (South) , Pourbusstraat 3, 2000, Antwerp, Belgium. Freight charges to be borne by sender.
Several prizes will be awarded and all the submitted works of art will be exhibited at Gallery Marion De Cannière (South), from 25/10/ 2012 till 1/12/2012.
The first prize, consisting in the sculpture itself situated in Stadspark, will be awarded to one of the contestants by a professional jury which will include: museum directors, curators, artists, gallery owners, collectors.
The second prize (an iPad) will be awarded to the contestant whose work of art will raise the biggest amount of 'likes' on Facebook.
Other prizes (3 gift cards) will be awarded to the 3 contestants whose work will raise the biggest amount of comments on Facebook.
Several surprize prizes will be offered during the opening.
The winners will be announced during the opening of the exhibition, on the 25th of October 2012 and they are to collect their prizes on the 1st of December, at the end of the exhibition.
Deadline for submissions: the 15th of October 2012.
The contest will be advertised by a publicity campaign on Facebook (there are 200.000 users on Facebook who live in Belgium and have interests in the art field).
The campaign will also include publicity in newspapers, radios, public institutions (printed posters and flyers) etc.
2. The exhibition
EVERY submitted work of art will be included in an installation realized by Cristian Bors & Marius Ritiu at Gallery Marion De Cannière (South) from 25.10.2012 to 1.12.2012.
