Alternative or independent art spaces are generally considered as the third tier within the institutional hierarchy, yet tend to question the conventional order and assume a more provocative position psychologically and physically.
One of the main characteristic distinguishing alternative space with museum system and commercial gallery system is the tight connection with the present. This characteristic is the core that creates source of thinking and practice of alternative space.
With its fate of tightly connecting with the present, all alternative spaces tend to break bureaucracy which may be tangling and prevent alternative spaces from direct contact with the present. The ultimate purpose of all practices (as well itself) of alternative space is to gain the “present”, the “to be” through the fastest, most direct and most spontaneous ways.
This characteristic, logically has bought any alternative spaces at any time, any area contrary to old institution spaces such as museums or commercial galleries- places where because of their bias in favor of the past (directly or indirectly) become bureaucratic and institutionalized in their behaviors and relations with the present.
It is the core characteristic of alternative space that makes it different from museums and galleries- not only different about space and form but even, in terms of behavior dealing with time.
Therefore, a review (though in short) of the concept of contemporary (a concept of time) before identifying the model of alternative space is necessary.
Below are my personal ideas on the concept of “contemporary”
Not to mention the concept “duration” of Henri Bergson referring time as continuous and undivided, common time concept refers to time as a one-way process dividing into three stages: past, present, and future.
However, time in fact can not self divide into past, present and future. Past, present, and future is a comparative sensibility- which will come when human reflect themselves in events happen in space and from that draw out their own conclusions about the flow and direction of time.
As it is a comparative sensibility, all that rule the person at the time of reflection affect (directly or indirectly) his feeling about events in space.
The Vietnam contemporary visual art can be cited as an example. Clearly, in the past 10 years, many art practices known as contemporary have taken place. However, the contemporary features (if exist) that those practices released could possibly be only the result of the interaction between majority of Vietnamese audience and the practices that are new to them.
These same practices, on the other hand may be very familiar with Western or even some Vietnamese audience who gain their knowledge about history of contemporary art through books long time a go.
That is, my purpose is not to say practices known as Vietnam contemporary art in the past 10 years of being a surface copies of Western art (although there are some persuasive reasons for that), instead, by presenting the differences in feeling about time of the same event between the two kinds of audience, I emphasize that the impurity caused by the influence of the surroundings and experiences (in other words - the influence of space factor) on the feeling towards events- is the source of human conclusion of time. By doing so, I would like to draw the audience’s attention toward a new concept of contemporary, a concept that embedded time, space and variability.
Back to the topic of alternative space which is usually considered a place for contemporary art practices. Clearly with a new perception and concept of contemporary which consists of time-space and variability, the identification of alternative spaces will not be an easy work.
Within the limited ability and knowledge, I presented below 4 characteristics that I think exist in every alternative space.
1. Non bureaucracy
The direct contact with life not using any bureaucratic system is one of the most important features of all alternative space. This de – institutional and de – institutionalized is the most important mark to distinguish alternative spaces with all other institution systems whose philosophy, and even the surface behaviors tend to be bureaucratic and to isolate from present (intentionally or accidentally). Different from vertical approach of bureaucratic institution, alternative spaces have an overall approaches to reality and present. For this reason, any potential bureaucracy is automatically dissolved.
2. Non commerce
Reality has shown that all classical alternative spaces are non or anti commerce. However, recently some alternative spaces in the third world or peripheral areas - as existing and operating in environments of poor cultural and economical infrastructure - begin to have commercial deeds playing as foundation for alternative activities like opening bars, café internet. However, it is necessary to emphasis that commercial tactics that those alternative spaces employed are to satisfy a final purpose: maintaining the alternative art as well as the liberation of view but not using alternative art as an advertisement for more economic or cultural benefits; the purpose which absolutely leads alternative practices to compromise in both behavior and opinion.
3. Interaction with local events
As mentioned above, contemporary is a concept embeds features of time, space and variability. For that reason, contemporary fine art arise from alternative space is often the kind of art that are governed at the same time by two factors: time and space. This means in terms of technique, if necessary, it should reach the world’s technical and theoretical standards for contemporary art (or at least the region’s standard), however, in terms of message, it has to search for ways to recognize and raise local issues. Maybe there is no other saying more appropriate for alternative space than this one “Think globally, act locally”.
In an important writing about Chinese contemporary art, Zhu Qi, an art critic affirmed that: “In all contemporary art practices of Chinese artists, we can find their predecessors in the history of Western art.”
In my opinion, in Vietnam, if not to say the whole South Asia, the statement is true. Because of that, I think, only when alternative art practices are capable of show their tight connection to the local reality - in other words - only when these behaviors pay attention to certain space elements in its action, they really escape from the fate of being as late experiments or solely technical copies from the old Western art.
4. Brige to and have exchange programs with olther alternative spaces in the region
One of the features of alternative spaces is its linkage in the whole region tactic (or even the whole global tactic) to confront with macro tactics of global institution (the president of Venice Biennale Foundation, David Croff, who learned banking at his young age, boldly said: “there are audiences who can not come to Venice Biennale, therefore we should bring Biennale to them…”).
This linkage is a reaction of local independent alternative spaces aiming to support and acknowledge each other in the effort to reform global laws which are being governed by the institutionalization and cultural commercialization; it is also the consequence of a type of globalization from top down or from “we” to “them” (Edward Said). In recent years, there have been lots of interactions and connection between alternative spaces (especially those in Asia and Northern Europe, which are known as the peripheral of Western culture arena.) The typical is Gwangju Biennale with P_A_U_S_E (2002) – with the aim of supporting activities of alternative spaces in peripheral areas.
In the same year 2002, the Asia Center Foundation in Japan published a book named “Break the law” (Alternative contemporary art space in Asia).
Conclusion
The four mentioned characteristics, in my view, should not be viewed as close and static. Depending on each locality, each situation, the characteristics can be changed in meaning, color or they can be mixed up with each other or even with other characteristics (time limitation does not allow me to present here other less important characteristics).
I myself think that with alternative space occurring in the peripheral area of the world culture arena such as Vietnam and other similar countries, searching for a static and close concept is impossible.
In the era of enthronement of Hybridity, fluidity, eclecticity and syncreticity like the era we are living now, it seems to be difficult to find out a state or even an entity that can be defined or dare to declare their being as pure and intact.
The cultural entity such as Goethe institution- an Embassy affiliated cultural centre, for example, by appearance it is a kind of cultural institution (it even opens tens of branches all over the world).
However, this entity, in some certain cases, becomes an pure alternative space and is even addressed by terminology is called “disguised alternative space”.
An example of the usefulness of disguised alternative space can be seen in China. After Shanghai Biennale 2000, many local alternative spaces had to be closed. However, the alternative space BizArt is an exception. With the appropriate administrational support (from Goethe institution), it can still maintain operation as an active and most famous alternative space in the South of China.
In Vietnam alone, for the past few years, we have seen many alternative space activities of Vietnamese artists held by or related to Goethe institution. It seems that the tactic of cooperating with embassy institution has prevented alternative space from the bureaucratic sensor and budget inadequacy.
Finally, to bring this report to an end, I would like to cite Andrew Lam - the director of a famous alternative Museum of Site (MOST) in Hong Kong, the chairman of Cattle Deport Art Village (an alternative art village in Hong Kong) - ’s words on alternative spaces.
“Alternative art spaces, in my view, can retain integrity by maintaining a smaller scale of operation and closer ties to a local community. They should be visionary, with a clear idea of what to do and what not to do.”
11.2005
References:
-Andrew Lam, Asian Alternative Space, World Alternative City,http://www.variant.randomstate.org/
-“Talking a little further”, Zenakos interviews with Rosa Martinez,http://www.artnet.com/
-Edward Said,Orientalism, The National Political Publishing House 1998, translated by Luu Doan Huynh, Pham Xuan Ri, Tran Van Tuy, edited by Luu Doan Huynh
-Zhu Qi, “Do Westerners Understand Chinese Art”, trong Chinese Art at the End of Millenium, edited by John Clark, New Art Media published 2000
-On the Mid Ground, Hou Hanru, Time Zone published 8, 2002
Như Huy
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