“I once made an illegal public sculpture in Omaha center in the USA. It was planned as a typical symbol of Western culture – a red, geometrically abstract formation located in each city, remaining unnoticed by everyone. It worked well, even the landowner, who had noticed it, only ordered it to be removed a month later. In the meantime, I watched the sculpture every night as I wanted to see what it was doing, when no one was around.” – Krišs Salmanis
The exhibition “Side View” by Krišs Salmanis is open from June 5 until July 1 at PAiR Gallery in Pāvilosta.
“The multi-dimensional art installation “Side view” by Krišs Salmanis balances on the border of pure truth and absurdity, constantly provoking the viewer to understand the meaning of the red “Western” sculpture. The work provokes a number of essentially logical questions that at first might seem too naive: what does the particular object symbolise? is it really possible that it went unnoticed for so long? and, if it went unnoticed, how is it possible to determine the sculpture’s interaction with the environment?
The different dimensions of the work are revealed through these issues, which offer different views, viewing opportunities and beliefs. Art is a “place” for discussion, because it does not provide only one correct answer, therefore the illegal placement of a sculpture in a public space, in this case, does not speak of the artist as a rule breaker, who dares to challenge the viewer’s feelings (according to the formula “what actually is art”). “Side view” is rather proof of the hyperbolisation of humanism in egocentrism and how little we really are interested in delving deeper into the surrounding environment, processes, and stories. It is no longer about ignoring art, or displaying it in “places not intended for it” (because, what actually is a place not intended for art?) – it is about the simple ability of holding attention.
The installation of such a work is challenging in itself, but it is even more challenging to maintain the neutrality of the sculpture, allowing it to be “invisible”. Here it is – the provocation. Balancing on the border of truth and the absurd actually means the organic fusion, where the absurd proves the truth and vice versa. When looking at the “Side View”, a thought unwittingly creeps into one’s mind – has it all really been like this? Only the artist knows that.” – Auguste Petre
A short talk by curator Auguste Petre with artist Krišs Salmanis about the work “Side View”
What was it that mainly prompted you to create an environmental art work that no one would pay attention to?
I once made a small animation about a monument to the liberators of the Soviet Latvia and Riga from the German fascist invaders. I had some problems with the monument, until I imagined that the monument also felt uncomfortable due to the ideology it carried. Maybe it simply wants to be an example of modernism and sometimes dances in silence.
I continued to pay attention to public art until I decided to make one myself at the US residence.
Why do you think it is that people do not notice changes in their environment?
I think they do notice them. It’s just that everyone has their own interests. I never notice any price changes, others do not pay attention to sculptures, but they notice the plants that have germinated or blossomed. I once figured out an exercise and tried to look at the things between the objects that are first caught by the eye. Next to the advertising post, between the windows, behind the sunglasses, above the second floor.
What is the role of the orchestra and music in your work?
I assigned each musician to play the role of one joint. When watching the animation of the sculpture, the musician had to play only when the assigned joint was moving. The sculpture was both the score and the conductor. Therefore, not only me, but ten more people had to look at it very closely. And it turned out that I am not the most attentive after all. Elīna Endzele noticed moments of sound, that had slipped past me.
What did you reveal in your observations – what did the sculpture do, when no one was around?
If I understood correctly, it stretched out, played the classic “You talkin’ to me?” scene and ran to the nearby nightlife area. It later dragged itself back. Almost no one came up to me during the observation. One woman could not understand, why I should try to make a work of art out of a sculpture, if it is already a work of art. And the arriving police crew retreated without a word, when I invited them to the open day at the art centre.
Can art exist without a spectator?
It seems to me that even in works, where art is intended to exist only when a relationship with the viewer is formed, the first relationship is formed by the idea and its creator. The author of the work is almost inevitably the first evaluator of the work, therefore art cannot even occur without a viewer. After that, the “real” viewers can also enrich the author’s understanding of what has been done, but a work is still art work, if it remains locked in the basement of a bank. It would be interesting to think of a way of how to make a work of art, so that not only could nobody see it, but it could not even be evaluated, and it would remain unseen.
The work has been created within the residency programme of the Art Center Bemis (USA).The animation can be viewed together with a video of the performance of LNSO musicians conducted by the sculpture. The recording features Jānis Porietis (flugelhorn), Elīna Endzele (percussion), Kaspars Majors (tenor trombone), Mikus Runka (French horn), Artūrs Bērziņš (bass trombone), Raivis Māgurs (tuba), Egils Upatnieks (English horn), Mareks Pinta (bass clarinet), Jānis Semjonovs (bassoon), Reinis Burkins (contrabassoon). Sound director – Varis Kurmiņš.
