Video Of The Week: The Visitors
We visited the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao earlier this week. They were exhibiting a video installation called The Visitors by Ragnar Kjartansson. It’s not easily captured in a YouTube video, but that’s the best I can do for all of you. Basically you walk into a big room and on every wall there is a video playing of a musician and each is playing a part in the song. You walk around and you hear the various musicians playing. It’s awesome. I loved it.
Comments (Archived):
Fantastic building !
i don’t really like museums.i like art galleries when there’s a favourite painting inside. seeing Klimt’s paintings up close in Vienna was memorable.i think i would feel the need to lie down in that room.
I like both for different reasonsFor one you can buy the art in galleries
this wasn’t that kind of gallery. you might be run out of town if you tried that on there. the Viennese are a little bit snobbish about their cultural history, and talking art and money in the same sentence would to them probably seem too… new world. you’d have them spluttering in their coffee. i recommend a tour though, although perhaps not southern enough.p.s. good news. ragnar is represented in NYC;http://www.luhringaugustine……and he paints. i like this one;http://www.luhringaugustine…
I had a friend from Vienna … we worked together in Philly… he was not only snobbish about their culture, history and he never liked american culture … he says Americans look at things (art, science, paint, history…) in $ and not on value and pride.
yes, “knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing”. it’s a harsh critique, but Americana does tend to project itself in that way to the world. there are other views though;http://www.theminimalists.com/
he says Americans look at things (art, science, paint, history…) in $ and not on value and pride.Not part of our brainwashing at an early age…People get excited about things that are dropped into them in their formative years or by someone they admire or look up to. (Grandma taking you to plays when younger, a mentor telling you “buy an expensive watch” etc.) I’m sure Arnold has influenced people on wine if they are impressionable enough. (Not a slight btw…) Reading JLM has brainwashed me to think that Austin is the IVY League of cities.Point being your friend from Vienna was exposed and has a different upbringing then, say, someone living in Fox Chase or South Philly.Another reason for comments like that is it allows one to elevate themselves over someone else.Proof is in the pudding though. Last I checked most people typically want to move to the US vs. another country no shortage of that going on, right? (Of the group of people looking to get out of their country that is not saying “everyone”).
I have no doubt that US is the best country to live in. The country is full of opportunity and has reward the right attitude.What I expressed is a view of my friend and we both lived in Fox Chase for a brief period of 2-years.LE. I completely agree with elevating themselves attitude….many of my friends from India living in U.S. talk great about U.S. and their life in US when they visit India and tell India is a shit-place to live…. the same guys when they are in U.S. talk about cultural heritage of India and how colorful India is etc.etc., and bla bla…I guess feeling elevated in a crowd is just a human phenomenon and nothing to do with Vienna or Delhi.
….many of my friends from India living in U.S. talk great about U.S. and their life in US when they visit India and tell India is a shit-place to live…. the same guys when they are in U.S. talk about cultural heritage of India and how colorful India is etc.etc., and bla bla..Exactly.”Elevation” is a really important concept. It explains why a parent will never give a child positive feedback and tell them they are smart (well some parents maybe it’s an old school thing) but will brag about the same child to a friend or a complete stranger! Then the friend tells the child “your dad talks about you all the time and said you are so smart” and you wonder “wow he never said that to me ever”. All the parent is doing is trying to elevate themselves. [1]Another example of elevation is where someone will brag to another person that they know someone notorious “the axe murderer lived in my sister’s neighborhood!!!”. As if a bad thing is a good thing. Anything to make others take notice. And to look important. [2]That’s exactly what is going on with your Indian friends.[1] Years ago I dated a radiologist. Her dad would sit by the pool in Florida and tell others “my daughter is the head of the entire department”. Meanwhile he was a total jerk to her. Wanted to impress his buddies (she wasn’t the head either).[2] I developed this principle called “the Cathy story”. It is named after a relative that was very social and loved to tell stories. She would turn something bad into something good. When her son ate dog food as a kid she told the story with a very happy gusto. When her son was beat up she told the story as if a good thing had happened (not with concern for his well being). Anything and everything became a story and a way to entertain others and keep them amused.
thanx Jason for the link…Loved the little cat …http://www.luhringaugustine…and this one as well…http://www.luhringaugustine…Still going through the list….great ones.
talking art and money in the same sentence would to them probably seem too… new world.Amongst my “peoples” [1] it’s totally acceptable to ask what someone paid for their house or their car. Ask the same question of a different group of Americans and they will think you are rude.[1] The ones that I grew up around and are related to at least…of a particular religion.
yeah, but there’s something else in particular about art and money that’s different from houses and cars, and it’s unpleasant. the art market relies upon and expectantly awaits the death of the artist. then supply side becomes fixed and prices go up (as do commissions). art as commodity is for “insects” to quote Alec Baldwin’s character.
the art market relies upon and expectantly awaits the death of the artist.Likewise this also happens with prices of certain old cars which could be an analogy to death and scarcity, eh?
scarcity does explain the pricing of say a Ferrari, although i never think of cars as an asset class. dying at the wheel dents the value of certain old cars, but an artist dying with his or her brush in hand adds to the allure…
so long as they are transparent about what is buyable
This is an interesting point which so many people miss – living with art. Not just going to see it in a gallery or museum. The people who I know who live with art, whether they’re artists or not, see the world more richly in my view.
when i see a reproduction, and then i stand in front of that actual work of art, there’s just no going back. Klimt knocks your socks off when you see his paintings in the flesh.
That is a memorable moment – Vienna is great for art – old and contemporary.I love ysp.co.uk so much because it is such a visceral art experience. We are so lucky to live just a few mins away…
http://www.monumentsmen.com… thing Eisenhower and the Allied leaders thought enough of art they saved it.
love the museums in vienna. endless pics on my tumblr from my visit there.
The art of Iceland. I love the creativity of Ragnar.
Love this type of installation. Cool.Coincidentally, my video of the week embraces art/science and even how to motivate software sales people. Plus, some wonderful life lessons along the way… Tim Minchin UWA Address (2013): http://youtu.be/NyBvbot3emM
Cool. I will check it out
What a great idea! I love art you can describe in a sentence. Before I even saw the video I was there with you. Thanks for sharing.
Do you have a favorite place so far on your trip?
Maybe Provence. That’s a tough one but we loved Provence and listened to a book about it while we drove around
I read Memoirs of a Geisha in Kyoto. Was a great connection to place.
The Wall of karaoke.
Don’t know if you got the chance to see Ragnar’s performance of “A Lot of Sorrow” featuring The National in the VW Dome at MoMA PS1 last May — the band played “Sorrow” repeatedly in a six-hour live loop. That performance was apparently recorded by six different cameras and a video of it is being projected on the wall at Luhring Augustine Bushwick through the end of the day tomorrow. Highly recommended.Here’s a video of last year’s performance: https://www.youtube.com/wat…
I read about it after seeing this thing at the Guggenheim. Sorry that I missed it.
“To synchronize love to the beat of the show”
Thinking of you in Minneapolis….
Ragnar Kjartansson is amazing.You should keep your eye on Luhring Augustine Gallery (Chelsea and Bushwick). They feature some heavy hitting contemporary artists.They actually exhibited this piece about a year and a half ago. The performance was filmed in the Hudson Valley near Bard College. It is a classic mansion where many contemporary artists visit/stay at.NYT’s wrote a review of the piece here: http://nyti.ms/WuFrGJ.And as @Hershberg:disqus stated, Luhring Augustine is currently exhibiting a Ragnar performance featuring The National in their Bushwick gallery. I think it will remain up until December. http://bit.ly/XAZET1
Thanks for the tip. I will keep my eye on them now
This piece is also up until November 2nd at the ICA in Boston @ICAinBOSTON – it is absolutely incredible!