Questions: Is that building a masjid? Where we are? In which country? Is there a connection with Islam? What the sign is trying to tell us? Current problems around religion. The war with terrorists?
Type of work: site-specific work, piece connected with place. A representation of something important about the place.
https://vimeo.com/49318380
A PLACE BEYOND BELIEF
https://vimeo.com/79395527
Knowing the context behind the text confirmed my inner feelings what the text is about. Nothing against religion but in opposite side, the HUMANITY the greatness we have inside us if we are able to tear down our judging list which we has been building for whole life.
He puts the piece on several places. Here is an article when it was installed in Kosovo as an testimony to confront the religious http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2012/sep/23/place-beyond-belief-kosovo-nathan-coley
It looks it can work on different places to rise up different points which man can think around (why man fight in the name of religion, race - current theme in Europe today).
I am not sure if the monologue changed the basic thing behind because on the first photo I saw first is the building - masjid - seeing it gave me first information. The monologue gave me more information, exact story and place - New York and I know what inspired to make that piece.
That is an amazing piece :-) (There will be no miracles here)
http://www.tate.org.uk/context-comment/video/nathan-coley-turner-prize-2007
Do you think contextual information is essential to gaining a greater understanding of contemporary work?
If we have no contextual information our response to a piece is based on our experience, our inner thoughts, what we learned, what we know, our culture, our language, conditional mind, our person etc. Knowing context it gives us a pointer to something specific. Something more personal, something what happened somewhere else. Probably something what we are not aware and someone else want to point at that (A place beyond belief). Contextual information certainly change the reflection in our mind. I can say our deep inner sense (behind mind) somehow says it before we can get any information.
Do you think it should be an essential ingredient?
I do not think so. I think there are pieces without any contextual information, just you can see it and your thinking is working. There could be many explanation about what it is. The contextual information helps to see the piece (place) in other point of view. It is true, the contextual information changed my awareness of a piece when I have got the contextual information. The information can change the response to a piece in totality.
A Place Beyond Belief: knowing the contextual information reminds me there are greater things which we miss everyday under our stereotypes. It is great to remember what happened but Coley's text especially in Kosovo highlight what we must do to be better in connection the differences between us (religions, opinions, cultures). I do not know but Coley's work gives me hope there will be no borders in future (Imagine - John Lennon). As I am writing this text I have a thought how many lies are spread around us :-)
Searching things about piece There will be no miracles I found Coley's comment which is close to my thoughts: his job as an artist is to raise these questions. "I deal with the relationship between private and public space, state and church, and personal and political morals because I'm not prepared to leave those discussions and decisions to the government or the church. I don't think they're best placed to deal with it. The role of culture is to deal with those issues."
http://markfisher.theatrescotland.com/Writer/Articles/nathancoley.html
http://startstudioarts.si.edu/2015/10/written-word-and-contemporary-art.html
There Will Be No Miracles Here has a history: in interview, Nathan Coley states that there was a French medieval village where miracles were frequently taking place and peasants were getting out of hand. As a result, the king stationed a sign that said, “There will be no miracles here by order of the King.
Coley's work is driven by motivation to raise up questions around relationship between religions, morality, humanity. Those are connection across his work and big motivation.
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