THE NEW LIFE
2023-
Galvanised steel shutter, Raspberry Pi, live data-feed, timber-framed stud-wall, legal contract, coal.
Commissioned for the Dunkirk Art and Industry Triennial, Chaleur Humaine, FRAC Grand Large, 2023.
2023-
Galvanised steel shutter, Raspberry Pi, live data-feed, timber-framed stud-wall, legal contract, coal.
Commissioned for the Dunkirk Art and Industry Triennial, Chaleur Humaine, FRAC Grand Large, 2023.
The movement of a galvanised steel shutter is determined by the fluctuating stock price of the largest coal importer of the country where it is exhibited.
In this instance, the company in question is ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest mining and steel producer. ArcelorMittal has industrial operations in over 90 countries worldwide, including a major site in Dunkirk. ArcelorMittal is also one of the lead sponsors of the Dunkirk Triennial 2023.
When the stock-market is open, the shutter rises and falls in response to changes in ArcelorMittal's share price. Outside trading hours, on bank holidays and weekends, the shutter remains static, appearing at rest. In this respect, the New Life operates continuously, independently of the gallery’s opening hours. The work's materials extend to include the timber-framed stud wall that supports the metal armature.
A legal contract determines the form of the artwork beyond this instance of its exhibition. The contract specifies that when coal is no longer traded as a commodity, the artwork must be reconfigured and displayed as a stacked presentation of its material components.
Link to Video Documentation
Commissioned by curators Anna Colin, Camille Richert and Henriette Gillerot for 'Chaleur Humaine', Dunkirk Art & Industry Triennial 2023, and produced with support from the FRAC Grand Large and Fluxus Art Projects. With particular thanks to: Fluxus Art Projects, Keren Detton, Anthony Finch, Kevin Faure, James Sutton, Nastassja Simensky, Thibault Fournaise, and all at the FRAC Grand Large and École Supérieure d'Art, Dunkerque.
Commissioned by curators Anna Colin, Camille Richert and Henriette Gillerot for 'Chaleur Humaine', Dunkirk Art & Industry Triennial 2023, and produced with support from the FRAC Grand Large and Fluxus Art Projects. With particular thanks to: Fluxus Art Projects, Keren Detton, Anthony Finch, Kevin Faure, James Sutton, Nastassja Simensky, Thibault Fournaise, and all at the FRAC Grand Large and École Supérieure d'Art, Dunkerque.