Commutative diagram. Scientific Figure via: ResearchGate, CC-BY 4.0 International.
PhD student Christiane Matt introduces the upcoming Department of History of Art research seminar, ‘The Coefficient of Art, Arte Util and the Undoing of Modernity’ by Alistair Hudson (Whitworth Art Gallery) on Wednesday 17 February at 16:00 – the event is open to all, for details please see the Department website.
The Coefficient of Art, Arte Util and the Undoing of Modernity:
Alistair Hudson, who will be delivering a History of Art research seminar on Wednesday 17 February 2021 at 4.00pm, is the current Director of the Whitworth Art Gallery. Previously, he has been the Director of the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, where he put forward a vision of ‘The Useful Museum’. The notion of the useful museum is underpinned by the idea that art should not be an object of contemplation for a small societal elite, but rather, that art can provide a tool for a more fulfilled life to everyone. It is based on usership theory which has been developed by Stephen Wright. Usership theory breaks down the distinction between production and consumption in that it conceptualises the user as a key figure in the production of meaning, information and value. Wright argues that artists over the past few decades have started turning away from a definition of art that focuses on authorship and art’s aesthetic function and instead have started turning towards more open and inclusive practices. According to Wright, usership is a radical, counter-hegemonic notion that aims to dismantle the notions of expert culture, spectatorship and ownership associated with modernity.
In his 1957 lecture The Creative Act, which he gave at the Convention of the American Federation of Arts in Houston, Texas, Marcel Duchamp redefines the relationship between the viewer or user and the creator of a work of art. Duchamp argues that it is not up to the artist to decide whether they are a genius, but it is the viewer who makes that decision. Therefore Duchamp sees the artist as a sort of medium. He argues that the viewer is an integral participant in the creative act, since the viewer reacts critically to the work of art and adds meaning to it. The viewer connects the artwork to the external world and adds to it their own experiences and knowledge. Without the viewer, therefore, the creative act is incomplete. This idea is distilled in the notion of the ‘Art Coefficient’, which signifies the gap between the artist’s intention and the realisation which is created. The notion of the ‘Art Coefficient’ is also of significance for the work of Hudson, who argues that it provides new paradigms for conceptualising art beyond the modernity of the last two centuries.
During his time as Deputy Director of Grizedale Arts, Hudson further developed the notion of the useful museum and ‘Arte Útil’ (useful art). Arte Útil focuses on the applied dimension of art and especially on the benefits that users will gain from it. It also fosters the idea of creativity and art in everyday life. At Grizedale Arts, Hudson worked in close partnership with artists and communities, emphasising the potential of art to affect change and the value of art to wider society and community. This ethos also underpinned his work at the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, which he aimed to transform according to the concept of the Museum 3.0. The Museum 3.0 defines the museum as a site which is created and given meaning by all of its users. The museum then becomes a shared network, which is created and transformed by its users according to their individual and group needs. This shift also means a radical reconceptualisation of the power structures within the institution. The users do not have to pay to access the museum or its resources; instead, they are remunerated for their participation in shaping the museum. This means that the museum becomes firmly anchored in the local community which houses it: instead of being a site that is visited for special occasions such as a day out, the museum becomes a regular part of everyday life. It is open and accessible to all as a free public space for meetings, learning and creativity. The institutional transformation of the museum according to the ideal of the Museum 3.0 also means a move away from a predetermined, fixed programme of exhibitions. Instead, the museum’s activities respond to the needs of the communities which participate in it, as well as to broader societal issues on a local, national and even international level. This re-definition of the museum and activities affects the roles of the curatorial team and even that of the director. Instead of taking a top-down approach, the notion of the useful museum promotes equity and values each individual contribution equally. Curators, artists and various publics become creators and facilitators who shape the museum with their input.
These values are exemplified by Arte Útil’s Localism project, which took place at Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art between October 2015 and February 2016. The project’s aim was to invite the public to help write a user-generated history of the Teesside region and its culture. Through a series of workshops, members of the public added to the exhibition with their memories, knowledge and experiences and thus helped shape the narrative of their own history. The affiliation of Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art with Teesside University meant that the project had an educational mission and was engaged in wider debates and discourses about local and regional history and their significance for society. This radically different approach to exhibition making brought together creatives, students and publics from various different backgrounds and examined the role of the local in a globalised world.
Alistair Hudson’s research seminar will surely offer new perspectives and insights into curatorial practice.
