
L: Galaxy Clusters, Priya Natarajan
R: Man on Sculpture, Daniela Steinfeld
CLUSTER
a project organized by Katie Holten
February 10 - 12, 2006
Opening Reception: Friday, February 10th,
7-9pm
PARTICIPANT INC
95 Rivington Street,
between Ludlow and Orchard Streets on the Lower East Side
CLUSTER is a sporadic, ongoing project organized by artist Katie Holten. The first CLUSTER took place in Bowes Pub, Dublin
in September 2002*. The current manifestation of CLUSTER will take place in a cardboard box which will be presented
at PARTICIPANT INC February 10-12, 2006. The box and contents will travel to
the Sundown Salon in Los Angeles (in association with Art2102), FOUR in Dublin,
and el particular in Mexico City.
Participants:
Betsy Aaron (US), Jan Albers (GER), Domenick Ammirati (US), Fia
Backström (SWE/US), Terry Berkowitz (US), Sarah Browne and Gareth Kennedy
(IRE), Horacio Cadzco (MEX), Paul Chidester and Helen O’Leary (US/IRE), Ann
Craven (US), Clémentine Deliss (UK), John Duncan (N.IRE), Jacob Dyrenforth
(US), Matias Faldbakken (NOR), Maxi Geil! (US), Tue Greenfort (DEN/GER), Fritz
Haeg (US), Ellen Harvey (UK/US), David Hatcher (NZ/US/GER), Geka Heinke (GER),
Matt Keegan (US), Lisa Kirk (US), Elizabeth Kolbert (US), Atta Kwami (GH),
Lasse Lau (DEN), Miranda Lichtenstein (US), Polonca Lovsin (SLO), Robert Melee
(US), My Barbarian (US), Priya Natarajan (IN/US), Isabel Nolan (IRE), Aisling
O’Beirn (IRE), William J.O’Brien (US), Ani O’Neill (NZ), Sally O’Reilly (UK),
Sean O’Reilly (N.IRE), Mark Orange (N.IRE/US), Raquel Ormella (AUS), Gary
Phelan (IRE), Chloe Piene (US), Amy Plant (UK), PLATFORM (UK), Wilfredo Prieto
(CUB), Sara Greenberger Rafferty (US), Kirstine Roepstorff (DEN/GER), Michael
Sailstorfer (GER), Stefan Saffer (GER), Joe Scanlan (US), Taketo Shimada (US),
Alexander Singh (UK/US), Greg Smith (US), Daniela Steinfeld (GER),
Tercerunquinto (MEX), Sergio Vega (ARG/US), Mariana Viegas (POR), and Public
Works (UK), among others.
It is no coincidence that CLUSTER resembles the refuge of a
ramshackle community, and you could say that it’s an excuse for a party. There's
a chance Chloe Piene will perform at
the opening. There will be a local broadcast of Gary Phelan’s BLACK BRAIN
RADIO. Greg Smith will construct
a tiny sculpture that will 'live' in an interior corner of the box.
CLUSTER will scale from the minute to the infinite: Yale astrophysicist Priya Natarajan will include images of 'real' clusters that present dark matter. Environmental issues will be questioned
directly and obliquely, in works such as Elizabeth
Kolbert's text 'The Climate of Man' and Joe Scanlan's Ikon Earth. A
number of other pieces will employ the book form, including Clémentine Deliss's Metronome Press and William J.O’Brien's zines. Other contributions will document
collaborative projects currently taking place in other cities, such as Fritz Haeg's Edible Estates, PLATFORM's
activites in London, and My Barbarian's
performances in Los Angeles and elsewhere.
As a spontaneous and social event, CLUSTER spreads through stories and at
sites that become available. Since Katie Holten moved to New York City in 2004,
Lia Gangitano (director of PARTICIPANT INC and a neighbor of Katie’s) has been
hosting parties, openings, and other social occasions. As a space that serves
artists through in-depth consideration and presentation while introducing work
into public contexts through exhibitions, screenings, and performances, PARTICIPANT INC is an ideal location for CLUSTER.
Works included in CLUSTER can expand and grow over the long-term, and the resemblance
to an organic, living structure is intentional--this is a project that has
current environmental issues at its heart. The organic development of CLUSTER also seeks to facilitate the
possibility for contemporary artists, writers, architects, scientists,
enthusiasts, and others to develop, create, and fiddle with ideas. Some CLUSTER works are invisible, or inhabit
other spaces such as rumors, posters, rooftops, holes, instructions, stories,
objects, t-shirts, pubs, and gardens. Potential is unlimited.
*Previous CLUSTER events:
The first CLUSTER was a one-night event curated by Katie Holten on September
6th, 2002, held upstairs at Bowes Pub in Dublin, Ireland.
Participants: Louidgi Beltrame, John Bowman, Maoliosa Boyle, Matthew Buckingham,
Lorraine Burrell, CABINET magazine, Paul Chidester, John Duncan, Leif Elggren,
Vona Groarke, Jorunn Irene Hanstvedt, Carol Kavanagh, Mark Lombardy, Frank
Lüsing, Susan MacWilliam, Aisling O'Beirn, Helen O'Leary, Paul O'Neill, Vanessa
O'Reilly, Mark Orange, Robin Robertson, Orla Ryan, Warren Sack, Dan Shipsides,
Ann Shostrom, Roman Signer, Chris Somerville, Carl Michael von Hausswolff, Andy
Whall, Ian Whittlesea, Keith Wilson, Knut Wold, and Enda Wyley.
The second CLUSTER took place on a flier distributed at the ICA, London as
part of the I.D.E.A.London project, organized by MA curatorial students at
Goldsmiths College. (Institute of Contemporary Arts, The Mall, London, UK. May
9 - June 17, 2005. www.idealondon.co.uk)
Participants: Betsy Aaron, Artichoke, Michael Baers, Terry Berkowitz, Elaine Bowen,
CABINET magazine, Jacob Fabricius, Joy Garnett, Ellen Harvey, David Hatcher,
Carla Herrera-Prats, Lisa Kirk, Blerti Murataj, Priya Natarajan, Ani O'Neill,
Gary Phelan, Carlos Roque, Taketo Shimada, and Jeremy Stanton.