Culturissime

• 2008

Culturissime is the hybridization chic of body and mind culture in a common space where one functions within the other. An unlikely encounter of two universes yet governed by a single term : culture. We’re playing here with generalist words opened to interpretation. Culturissime is a singular proposition of cultural activation through body activation. Culturissime is a sport-complex-like which particularity is the interaction between physical activities and artistic dispositives via machine and techno-logics mechanism’s interface. Technology, a term which actual contextualization hides the anthropological side yet so formative of the intellectual and physiological culture. It is within the metaphorical meeting of Culturissime that a meta-chronical synthesis get possible, answering to this question : what is Culture ?

For the 13th Pancevo’s Biennal in Serbia, Art-Act presents one the module of the Culturissime’s project : the fitness area. A workout space which deals with the articulation of the body and the spirit within a specific cultural context.

Culture, as a norm which establishes agreements of being and living together, implies as well a counterculture. Balloons embody the slackspace metaphor : a free space which allows potential actions in an insidious way. Culture is an envelope containing an invisible air and the counterculture is this air giving a shape to the envelope. As one is formal, the other one is iformal. And the outward appearance comes from the confrontation and tension between these two elements.

We’ve placed on these gym balls all possible definitions of culture, got from a generative software. Two videos broadcasted on the area are debating and unveiling the question of culture associated to bodybuilding as well as intelligent games (Who wants to be a millionar?, Run for Gold -push the button, give me the answer, be the faster) or fun house games (punching-balls on whih teenagers test their strengths).

The audience observation is interesting. If we were afraid the participants to be too shy and fear to manipulate the balloons, in fact, it was absolutely not the case. We wished the audience to play and be self-confident with the installation. Kids threw them balloons to the face, jumped on it, redid the exercises. Adults used them as seats and tried some series of sit-ups as they were reading the posters.

Culture, I’m sitting on it.

4 posters (1,20m x 80cm) invite everyone to workout : “If only I knew then what I know now”