The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Friday, February 24, 2012 - 5 UMMA frames anart with 'Fluxus' Exhibition explores the edginess of performance art By JONATHAN ODDEN DailyArts Writer You will decide to read or not read this article; having made your decision, the hap pening is over -- you've just experienced Fluxus and Fluxus Art. the Essential The University of Michigan Question of Museum of Life Gallery Art's Fluxus opening will Tomorrow have a slightly through May 2( modified ver- UMMA sion of Ken Free Friedman's "Mandatory Happening," which was known to the Fluxus artists as an event score. With spring quickly approach- ing, UMMA is preparing to launch an extensive project an exhibition, "Fluxus and the Essential Questions of Life,' and four months of programt- ming surrounding this topic. To kick the Flxuts festivities off UMMA is opening its gallery show tomorrow. Describing art as disconiect- ed and spontaneous as Fluxus is difficult, since the movement is neither clear nor linear, accord- ing to Educational and Curatori- al Deputy Director Ruth Slavin She said Fluxus only makes sense iin little, fleeting epilihanies. "Perhaps the best isay to con- ceive of Fluxus art is to think o1 the movement as one centered on a conceptual base and not on an aesthetic or form," Slavin said "In that way it was very avant- garde, very unique for the Cold War era." Though the range of debates about Fluxus is immense, its edg- iness is rarely debated. Founded by Lithuanian-American art- ist George Maciunas, Fluxus was inspired by the experimen- tal music of John Cage in New York, and the movement became a group of international artists organized by Maciunas. The Fluxus artists were not bound by culture or twedium but were instead connected by a desire to question the high art of the museum and to blur the lines between art and life. Their tool was a form of performance art often using prop-kits, which they called Fluxkits. These Fluxkits and event scores -- like the Friedman - made up the Fluxus events, which they termed "hap- penings." "Sometimes these Fluxkits and event scores were humorous; sometimes, they were boring or offensive, silly or even annoying, but they always raised questions about the art itself," said Lisa Borgsdorf, public prograns and campus engagement manager for UMMA. 'f'akte Alisona Knowvles's 1962 event scoire "iopositioa," a plait2 piece of paper with the inscrip- tion: "Make a salad." Below it, a video of Knowles making the salad plays on a television screen. "It's actually quite interesting, once you get past the reaction to looking at a piece of paper and what appears to be a loop of the Food Channel," Slavin said. "It questions creation, domestic- ity and whether the art of salad timaking rivals the museum can- vases - where is art's valuation?" Another debatable issue is whether it's the event score that's vital or the actual trial of enactment that carries artistic value. For example, Knowles's "Wounded Furniture" reads: "This piece uses an ol piece of ffurniture in bad shape. Destroy it further, if you like. Bandage it up with gauze and adhesive. Spray red paint on the wounded joints." f Since no original version off this piece exists, University Housing has allowed students in five dormitories to recreate the event and actually destroy a piece of furniture. One of these final pieces will have the honor of being the first student work to ever be exhibited in the gallery. "Swaying between intrigue and annoyance is not the 'wrong' way to feel about an event score," Borgsdorf said. "Works like a Knowles' force you to think out- side the traditional aesthetic and sformal terms. Instead, it asks you to debate whether it is the idea, i the work or the performer who is creating art." With works like these plain event scores, which almost require enactment and partici- pation to understand their mes- sage, the question of organizing a museum show true to the Flux- us mood has become a focus for the UMMA staff. "In presenting the show, we're trying something very differ- ent," Slavin said. "Because Flux- us was so anart-- that is, against fine-art labels - it really is only reaching the museum as a histor- ic item. That's why we're striv- ing to break the show's concepts down and ask people to experi- ment and experience Fluxus in their own time." The exhibit explores how Fluxus works by isolatingthe dif- ferent tlaemes and splitting them into 14 major questions - such as "What Am I?,""Happiness?" and "Danger?" - which drove the movement. Since there is no spe- cific pathway alongthe exhibit, a provided map will direct visitors to those questions in which they are most interested. The objects in each theme reflect an answer or ask a further question. "In (the them(e) 'Change?' Fluxus artists conclude that going with it can be a lot more fun than trying to fight it," said Stephanie Miller, manager of public affairs and publications at UMMA. "As Ken Filedman suggests with his Flux Corsage - a plastic box filled with flower seeds - you might get started by getting yourself some flower seeds, planting and nurturing them, and giving the blossoms to someone you love. The plant will die eventually, and so might your love, but neither of them will disappear; they will change into some other form of energy." Fluxus was an integral part of pioneering performance art and bringing anart into perspec- tive. Even though the movement has now passed into history, the mantras and ideals held by the group exist today. "I'm convinced that if they had the Internet, they would have used it," Slavin said. "Maci- unas would be tweeting and on Facebook. The sprit of Fluxus lives on in the intermedia today; the flash mobs and the viral vid- eos are the new happenings." Hto "Ahhh Mr Potter. Welcome to therapy." Gervais, Dan.,vi s bring humrt B' Short' By PROMA KHOSLA Daily Arts Writer On HBO's new comedy, "Life's Too Short," creators Rickey Gervais and Stephen Merchant once again find humor in the awkward- ness of daily Life'sToo life. It's shot S in the "moc hort kumentary" Pilot style that Ger- vais so lives, a Sundays at style that lends 10-30 t. itself perfectly HBO to exploiting everyday embarrassment. Contrary to all the promo- tion dropping of Gervais's name, "Life's Too Short" is centered on actor Warwick Davis, who calls himself "the U.K.'s go-to dwarf." Davis's other roles include Pro- fessor Flitwick in the "Harry Potter" films and an ewok in "Star Wars," which he men- tions multiple times in this pilot. Davis plays an egotistical cari- cature of himself, running an agency called DwarvesForHire. The humor comes from his lack of self-awareness, not from his being a dwarf. When he goes to Gervais and Merchant looking for work, Gervais's "I thought we made the (door) buzzer high enough" is a clear dig at Davis not be at hisl Tha fame Davis rude taxes. ously how I a fam divorc new F of pr( talent pound I c Gc irig able to take a hint, not his true idtntity. And it's dou- height. bly gratifying to see his wit and it oblivious delusion of clever delivery. and charisma is what leads Though it's amusing, the to do things such as be show isn't laugh-out-loud funny. to his wife or not pay his It's worth watching, though, He perceives her as obvi- for the skill with which Davis, ordinary and unaware of Gervais, Merchant and a slew of ucky she is to have landed forthcoming guest stars execute ous film star. She wants a the chalenging humor of just e, so Davis has to find a going about their lives. The pilot place on top of the work features Liam Neeson ("Taken") omoting unknown dwarf asking Gervais and Merchant to and paying off 250,000 help him with irtprovisational Is. comedy. It's also a lesson in one of Ger- vais's cardinal rules of comedy: Be able to laugh at yourself. Nee- Rem ember: son immediately missteps in his improv role as a hypochondriac .ood things by saying he has AIDS. When Merchant advises him against me in small it, Neeson indignantly asks why Gervais gets to joke about offen- paeKages, sive things. "We don't know," Merchant replies. "He just does." Maybe Merchant is summing these things - Dwarves- up the general phenomenon of re, the divorce and Davis's Ricky Gervais: He can get away ing accountant - are dis- with things in the entertain- d as plots. But "Life's Too ment industry at which others isn't a comedy to watch would inevitably fail. Having a ory and character devel- show about nothing that just lets nt. It's a minimalist series famous people be awkward and ng an underappreciated funny is one of them. How does Seeing Davis as the cam- he get away with it? main focus is refreshing Merchant has an answer. his roles so often conceal "Again, I don't know." All ForHi bumb guise( Short for st opme; starri actor. era's since DOES FLUXUS ART FLOAT YOUR BOAT? PERHAPS YOU SHOULD WRITE FOR THE FINE ARTS BEAT. WE HAVE BOATS. AND FLUXUS. DOES 'COMMUNITY CULTURE' SOUND AS AWESOME AS 'SPRING BREAK'? WE THINK SO. IF YOU AGREE, YOU MIGHT BE A PERFECT FIT FOR THE COMMUNITY CULTURE BEAT. Request an application by e-mailing arts@michigandaily.com. Request an application by e-mailing arts@michigandaily.com, W A RE A W A R D I N G TO START TOUR STN LOUI Who: All Entrepreneurs. What: Arch Grants will give at least 10 grants of $50,000 each, no equity required, Free business When: Deadline for submissions, March 9, 2012. Why: To build a strong network of entrepreneurs in St. Louis. 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