Originality is a relative concept in literature and art: ideas are doomed to be rehashed. This wasn’t always regarded as a problem. It wasn’t until the Romantic era, which introduced the notion of the author as solitary genius, that originality came to be viewed as the paramount literary virtue.
Under the guidance of artist Gareth Long, you will move beyond the arrogance of uniqueness and originality. He will not only introduce participants to his artistic practice and the idea of conceptual reading, but will also take them on an excursion. As a participant, you will actively work on a text that is a chronicle of your reading. Composing a new piece of writing (of any length, style, and genre) that is ‘kidnapped’ from materials found in books and texts by others. Think of this seminar as a ‘permissive playground for plagiarism’, veering between homage, imitation, citation, remix, pastiche, textual bricolage and mash-up, which ultimately results in a new work.
The seminars of Kunsthalle Wien offer an in-depth exploration of contemporary art and the issues and queries connected with it. They are developed in close collaboration with the artists involved in the exhibitions at Kunsthalle Wien and other experts in contemporary art. Each seminar examines a different subject, which constitutes a combination of each instructor’s interests and research fields. Theory and practice, analysis and the independent realization of one’s own ideas are given equal importance in these two-day events. The number of participants is limited to a maximum of 15. If you are interested, please register at Kunsthalle Wien’s art education department.