Approximation, Rasht 29

Kelly Lycan

(Program Concept and Installation)

As an artist with a photo-based installation practice and a socially engaged art practice, (independently and with the artist collective Instant Coffee from 2005 to 2015), working on Club 29 Projects has amalgamated these two methods of working into one. Club 29 expands my ongoing research of exhibition history. I consistently investigate the ways décor and the armatures of display determine the meaning of objects which has led me to examine images of gallery interiors while referencing historical photographs. As with my solo exhibitions Underglow (Presentation House Gallery, Vancouver, 2014) and Little Glow (Susan Hobbs Gallery, Toronto, 2015) both referenced a historical installation photograph taken in 1906 by Alfred Stieglitz. History comes to us in fragments through images and text, it is never completely precise and always incomplete: an approximation. An examination of these fragments has lead me to the undoing of the few photographs made available of Rasht 29 and in this case, attempts to represent some of the objects, activities and events that happened from 1967 to 1970.
Approximation, Rasht 29, an installation and series of public programs I created for Club 29 Projects is designed to reference the history of Rasht 29 as well as facilitate performances by other artists from Canada and Iran. In response to the intimate rooms at Ag Experimental and the desire to approximate the social activities that took place at Rasht 29 - a gathering place for artists, collectors, and musicians - there was a need to develop a presentation method that could bring people together while allowing larger audiences to view the performances. My solution has resulted in the audience occupying all three rooms while sitting on benches lining the gallery walls. In some instances, the performances circulate from room to room in 15-minute intervals. In another instance, the audience is asked to move from room to room to view a 15-minute performance. This program is a durational experience, lasting about an hour, not unlike a theatre production or play. Most importantly, it is socially engaged. It asks the audience not only to engage with specific tools that the installation and program present but also to participate in the performances designed and presented by myself the other artists and the curator.
The colour palette and elements of the installation reference the historical photographs of Rasht 29. The colours are also based on a “conservative color palette” of the 1960s. Approximations Rasht 29, can be viewed as a single installation at Ag Experiment. During gallery hours, the display units designed for the performances will act as sculptures - objects in waiting - anticipating and informing the audience of performances that they may have missed or might soon see.