Michael DiRisio & Teresa Carlesimo

toward an unachievable blankness

Gallery at the Guild

Thursday, September 21, 2017 - 2:30-3:30pm

“toward an unachievable blankness” is a performance lecture that attempts to address those socio-economic dynamics and forms of value that are present — though not immediately apparent — in the evolution of the modern gallery. From house museums to cabinets of curiosity, the history of the gallery is based in ostentatious displays of wealth, power and privilege; forces that are still at play in even the most critical contemporary art spaces. White paint and plaster can attempt to conceal these forces, yet true blankness is both unachievable and undesirable. Oscillating between obscure histories and absurd gestures, this performance lecture rejects blankness in favour of a greater awareness of the social and material origins of the built spaces within which art is presented.