Laresa Kosloff (b. 1974, Australia)
Eternal Situation, 2013

I don’t know Kosloff’s intentions for this videopiece, it is not unlikely to be filed somewhere under “institutional critique”, even if commissioned by an institution. What I take away from it is an impression of the narrative being told from the perspective of the artworks on display in a museum, facilitated by cropping strategies and the lyrics of “I Have Nothing” sang by Whitney Houston in the soundtrack. Unexpected shifts of perspective is one of the methods I am exploring myself, not least when training attention on audience’s sensemaking and reactions rather than on what I am presenting for them.

This piece also relates to some of my projects where I am interacting with works in the galleries looking for new ways to create meaning.

Another interesting aspect in the piece is that it draws attention to some museum goers that seem to be rather oblivious to the art on the walls. While it can be framed as critique, it got me curious to consider this as a sign of convergence of everyday life and art – a direction desired by quite a few artists, although not necessarily in that particular realisation. One should always be careful what one is wishing for…