Out of Hours

Comparison and Critique: Activity 2

Introduction
Activity 1: Comparing Tate and the Courtauld
Activity 2: Artists in institutions

In small groups look at a selection of picture cards with the artist's image on one side, and short description, date and name on the other. Feedback ideas as to why each artist has worked in such a way, and record on worksheets. You could use the worksheet Fill In the Gaps.

Introduce the term 'intervention'; elicit possible meanings. Consider it in terms of teacher interventions at school. Find definitions in dictionary. Consider it in terms of artists' work...what are they intervening with? Add to the glossary.

Activity: We looked at Olafur Eliasson's Turbine Hall Installation, The Weather Project. We looked at The Weather Project and conisdered aspects such as : How big is the work? Where does the work begin and end? What is the work made of? This was to trigger thinking as to how the artwork operates in relation to traditional artforms ie. beyond the solid object framed in a gallery space. The use of light, which reaches many crevases of the space, and can be seen from outside of the building (thus expanding the size of the work beyond it physical source), aswell as other atmospheric, intangible elements such as sound, mist and reflection all constitute an piece of work that escapes narrow definition and attempts to engage the viewer experientially

Resources

• Picture cards of a range of contemporary artists who have made work in response to institutions (for example- Pad Thai by Rikrit Tiravanija or Museum Highlights: A Gallery Tour by Andrea Fraser).

Activity Images

The Weather Project, The sun seen from below in the Turbine Hall
© Olafur Eliasson Photo: Jens Ziehe