Momentarium : : by Markuz Wernli Saitô

t.h.a.n.k.s.* – The agreement between host & artist

31 slide projection loops were co-created daily by Mike Reandeau and Markuz Wernli Saitô and presented at the window of a private residence in San Jose's historical Reed district between April 10 through May 10, 2008. *(tiny. humble. ardent. now. knock. soul)

PROJECT ARCHIVE
Agreement
Catalog PDF 946KB
Project Photos
Comments

Mike as host and Markuz as contributing artist signed an agreement which committed them to keep project t.h.a.n.k.s. running for 31 days. Mike promised to submit every day a message to the artist describing "something to be grateful for". Markuz in turn promised to receive that message and create daily a slide of gratefulness that was displayed on Mike's bay window between 8pm and 10pm each night. Mike decided how much in in what ways he wanted to include the people around him into project t.h.a.n.k.s.

* * * * * * *

Agreement of Collaboration
for project t.h.a.n.k.s.

— BETWEEN —

MIKE REANDEAU as curator & host in San Jose, California

— AND —

MARKUZ WERNLI SAITÔ as artist in San Francisco, California

— FOR THE PERIOD OF —

April 10th to May 10th 2008 (for 31 consecutive days)

* * *

In order to realize project t.h.a.n.k.s.

— MIKE COMMITS HIMSELF TO —

Submit a message (in any suitable form of communication) on something to be grateful for every day by 12 noon to Markuz

Receive Markuz' slide of gratefulness and to project it onto his home's bay window for the duration of 2 hours between 8 pm and 10 pm

— MIKE CAN OPT TO —

Keep a personal record of his experience

Invite others into the conversation and process

* * *

— MARKUZ COMMITS HIMSELF TO —

Receive Mike's message and to create a respectful interpretation of something to be grateful for

Deliver a slide of gratefulness every day by 7 pm

Loan a digital projector to MIKE for the duration of project t.h.a.n.k.s.

Establish and maintain an online project archive

— MARKUZ CAN OPT TO —

Assist Mike in engaging the neighborhood

Prepare a compilation of all slides for a conclusive presentation if desired

* * *

— I AGREE TO ALL TERMS & CONDITIONS OF THIS AGREEMENT —

Date/signature of MIKE REANDEAU as curator & host:

Date/signature of MARKUZ WERNLI SAITÔ as artist:

* * * * * * *

Project t.h.a.n.k.s. is part of The Distributed Exhibition, an initiative organized by artist Sara Thacher and hosted by the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA). Eleven artists got the opportunity to work closely with eleven owners of private residences and businesses in and around San Jose to realize site-specific artworks that were on view March 28th to May 17th, 2008.

Artists needed to be interested in responding to the unique layout, architectural features, personal display, or social dynamics of the space. The Distributed Exhibition asked: What might happen when artwork is created for a particular person, family, or living situation? What if private residences became display spaces? What if the occupants became gallerists? What if the viewers became guests? In order to view the works in the show, visitors must enter into a much more intimate situation than other art exhibition venues with a different social contract. The show crossed the boundaries between public and private, exploring an alternate mechanism for viewing and displaying art. It mixed the social context of a friend or trusted party invited into a personal space with the more distant relationship art consumer and gallerist or curator.

The Distributed Exhibition was funded by a CCA Center for Art and Public Life Grant and made possible with the support of the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA).

CCA Center for Public Art

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Each moment of the everyday, every action of living, poses the question: how it might be lived differently, more truthfully and respectfully. Through conscious interventions Momentarium provides a forum of inquiry on human coexistence.