Where Old Artwork Goes To Die (2013)
Where Old Artwork Goes To Die
Nuit Blanche — Toronto
The Gladstone Hotel (room #208)
October 5th and 6th (7:00 pm - 7:00 am)
In 2005 my piece, “NLQ (No Leading Questions)” — a casket-cum-display case — was exhibited at Patrick Mikhail Gallery in Ottawa. It didn’t sell, nor has it shown elsewhere, and has been taking up valuable storage space in my basement ever since. Initially, having a casket next to the TV was a bit of a lark, but as I age the idea of death is becoming less and less abstract. I needed to get rid of the casket!
Where Old Artwork Goes to Die, my installation/performance at The Gladstone Hotel, was a grotesque yet entertaining program drawing on humanity’s rituals — both artistic and funereal — while highlighting the art object in a state of perpetual change. What does an artist do with old work? The environmental credo Reduce, Reuse, Recycle springs to mind.
For Nuit Blanche, room #208 of The Gladstone Hotel became a minimalist representation of a funeral parlour. The mood was set by dramatic lighting, a bouquet of fragrant lilies and sombre music. Viewers entered the room to be greeted by the artist and/or assistants — dressed as funeral directors — who handed each person a carefully composed Memorial Card, and invited them to file past the deceased artwork, NLQ, one last time.
The four scenes played out over the course of Nuit Blanche were:
- 7:00 pm - 12:00 pm Exhibition/Visitation of deceased artwork
- 12:01 am - 3:30 am Studio photographs in deceased artwork
- 3:31 am - 4:00 am Deconstruction of deceased artwork
- 4:01 am - 7:00 am Art Give-away
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NLQ (No Leading Questions) (2005)
To view the original project, scan this QR code or simply locate NLQ in the Works menu to your left
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Memorial Card
The memorial card contained all the information about the project as well as the schedule of events that took place over the course of Nuit Blanche’s 12-hour run.
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Exhibition/Visitation of deceased artwork, 7:00 pm - midnight
The Gladstone Hotel, room #208
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Exhibition/Visitation video (1:42)
A variety of music was played during this five-hour portion of the event: selections from Bach, Chopin, Handel and Mozart; Rock of Ages (both this version, and one played on a mouth organ); as well as the Six Feet Under theme, and John Prine's "Please Don't Bury Me." (videographer: Allan Burke)
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Casket-photos, 12:01 am - 3:30 am
The first of 60 participants
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Art Give-away, 4:01 am - 7:00 am
These components of NLQ were given away: two half-lids of casket (separately); one JFK picture & holder (separately); one pillow; two casket handles (separately); one Flash Art magazine; one Carnegie International brochure; two pictures of Maurizio Cattelan's artwork; one NLQ wreath; one wire wreath stand; four stalks of lilies (separately); two halves of bier skirt (separately); two sheets of plexiglass
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A happy recipient of an NLQ component
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Another happy recipient of an NLQ component
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The artist wishes to thank OAC for generously supporting this project.
