During its residency at JJMorgan & Co, LoveLab Projects was particularly interested to use the space as a catalyst and influence for the concept of shows, by means of finding different ways to present and experience contemporary art, and engage with the public and the artistic community.
The starting point was to link the space with its immediate surroundings, being, but not exclusively, the beach and the funeral home. Two projects were created, referencing them directly: “Spreading Blankets on the Beach” and “I Shall Spit on Your Graves”.
The second idea was to create associations between the shows, in order to establish a pilot for LoveLab Projects: a program that will address relevant issues about our contemporary condition as well as contemporary art, through phases, by means of crossing boundaries between art and life.
LoveLab Projects was interested too to test LoveLab Initiative (to create exhibition opportunities for innovative artists) and invited Mark Curtis to develop a new project-installation at JJMorgan & Co, in parallel with the International Arts Festival 2010 in Wellington.
Finally, it was also important to develop connections, as much as possible, with the local art scene (artists, galleries and institutions), in order to participate and support their efforts. In this instance, most of the artists presented here are either based in Wellington or represented by Wellington galleries.
LoveLab Initiative is looking for innovative and under-recognized artists who are making significant contributions to their respective fields and are interested to share their ideas with like-minded colleagues within an environment conducive to experimentation and cross-disciplinary explorations.
LoveLab Initiative aims to organize temporary projects in various locations around Wellington, in order to create epic and/or ephemeral works for the love of art's sake of love. Works should deal with dualities such as creation/destruction, life/death, serious/amusing, etc. Thus, works will deal with the notion of ambition with irony, by means of questioning the intrinsic reality of art to be honoured and to honour (whether it's life and/or art) knowing that nothing really matters: what is important, and will remains, is the love, the experience.
As a hint, the various projects/phases will include a proposal for the new arts hub at Toi Poneke, in order to engage with the arts communauty as a ressource for interaction, networking and collaboration; proposals for empty shops in Wellington, aiming to develop significant new projects based on collaborations and cross-disciplines, and in the public realm.
Look forward to hearing from you!
LoveLab Projects aims to create a temporary structure and platform that will present exhibitions around New Zealand and through phases, for discourse surrounding ways in which we might consider our contemporary conditions. From focusing on emerging practices and ideas that are still in the process of being formulated, to profile different ways of thinking and doing, questions will be posed in the form of programming and address relevant and pressing issues pertaining to the changing landscape of (con)temporary art.
LoveLab Projects will feature artist interventions, site-specific projects, one-night performances and events, as well as exhibitions. The programme will emphasize cross-disciplinary approaches, forms of artistic research, projects that are situated in the public realm, and collaborations on many levels. The initiative will cross traditional boundaries to form a consortium interested in responding quickly to the major philosophical and economic shifts impacting culture, and more specifically within a New Zealand context.
LoveLab Projects will also develop LoveLab Initiative to provide innovative artists, working in the media, visual, literary and performing arts, with exhibition and performance opportunities to create and present new work that do not fit into the commercial market place.
