The Economy of the Gift
A Foundation, Liverpool, UK
Elodie Pong, After the Empire (2008), DVD still
There’s nothing new in marrying exhibitions with commercial imperatives or in art fairs adding a curatorial veneer to their programme. In ‘The Economy of the Gift’, however, Liverpool’s non-profit art centre, A Foundation, attempts to find a third way of operating in the global art market.
Presented as a ‘boutique’ art fair with all works for sale, the exhibition – which, unlike your average art fair runs for over a month – brings together eight galleries from five countries: seven commercial spaces and one not-for-profit. Curator Ticiana Correa began by inviting four galleries from northern England – Bureau (Manchester), Ceri Hand (Liverpool), The International 3 (Manchester) and Workplace (Gateshead) – to participate. Each of the galleries was then asked to select an international partner to join them, adding Andréhn-Schiptjenko (Stockholm), Freymond-Guth & Co. Fine Arts (Zurich), Ivan Gallery (Bucharest) and Jack Hanley (San Francisco/New York). All eight galleries then selected one of their own artists to showcase in the exhibition.
Putting aside for a moment the question of whether this is an extended art fair or a regular exhibition, the format entails a group show of seven individual artists and the artist collective Brass Art. Correa has chosen not to display any text on the gallery walls, even omitting the names of the works and the artists, thereby following a recent trend of allowing art works to speak for themselves. For those that want it, though, it can be irritating not to have some indication of the artist’s concept, nor to be certain whose work is in front of you. This aside, ‘The Economy of the Gift’ does make for an interesting show, presenting a diverse group of artists that would not normally be seen together. The post-industrial chamber of A Foundation’s Blade Factory gallery also provides the artists with more breathing room than a group show would normally allow.
Most interesting from a UK perspective is the display of work by Romanian artist Geta Brătescu who has never before exhibited here. The veteran avant-garde practitioner, now in her 80s, is regarded as one of Romania’s most important 20th-century artists. Displayed here is a series of collages, ‘The Rule of the Circle, The Rule of the Game’, made between 1982 and 1985. Brătescu made the work after carrying out research at a communist-era furnace factory and felt the Blade Factory provided an appropriate platform. Identical in size, the 19 circular collages of cut paper laid over geometric grids give a good introduction to Brătescu’s practice, where physical forms, spatial planes and colours eloquently interact.
Elodie Pong, After the Empire (2008)
Other highlights include three video works by the Switzerland-based American artist Elodie Pong. The first, Untitled (Plan For Victory) (2006), loses some of its force since the deafening sound of an avalanche is played through headphones instead of speakers as the artist intended. The interest is lured on, though, by the whimsical Even a Stopped Clock is Right Twice A Day (2008), where taxidermied birds discuss the financial crisis on a windswept mountain. Last and best is the cinematic After the Empire (2008), where actors impersonate popular American figures, both real and fictional, against the backdrop of a forlorn industrial landscape.
Jacob Dahlgren, Colour Reading Context (2010)
Though Jacob Dahlgren’s giant installation, Colour Reading Context (2010), and Eric Bainbridge’s PVC banner, Self Portrait (After Rembrandt) (2010), dominate the exhibition space, overall this is a subtle show. Works by Brass Art and Mark Harasimowicz mirror Bratescu’s spatial inquiry, whilst Rebecca Lennon and Shaun O’Dell both take a minimalist approach. Despite the art fair model, this is not a commercial vehicle designed around the notion of a quick sale.
Which brings us back to the question of what this show is meant to be. Except for the opening weekend, when gallerists were able to interact with invited collectors, it is really more exhibition than art fair. But then the curatorial concept is somehow external to the content, more concerned with the idea of establishing networks of communication and in building Liverpool’s international reputation. Behind the scenes, there is an interesting engagement with the idea of the peripheral and the viability of regional art scenes, but again it is largely external to the artistic substance. In that sense, ‘The Economy of the Gift’ does feel somewhat like an un-curated emporium of work, though it remains one rewarding to visit. The exhibition is intended as the first of an annual event, so expect the concept to be developed further.
Richard Unwin
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