Ros Bandt (b. 1951, Australia)
Dangerous Choices, 1994

Three boxes to be opened, three sound recordings to be heard. There could be a broken mirror or some money to take away, sounds of dangerous events or ATM’s – which box will you choose, will you listen or open first?

I totally can relate to Bandt’s considerations in relation to the work that ‘focuses on the lack of a safety net and the terror of alienation which may be associated with innovative work – work that is new, unique, a new language, unfamiliar territory’ (Bandt 2001, 83). Yet, what I can work out from the description and image above, it appears considerably less dramatic than Bandt’s punch line suggests: ‘Decisions, once made, have consequences’ (ibid.). Nevertheless, this gives me some food for thought – how scary an encounter with unconventional artwork may be, what could be at stake there, to what extent should I consider any of that.

Reference

Bandt, Ros. 2001. Sound sculpture. Sydney (NSW): Craftsman House.