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Katie Holten (Irland, 1975) |
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Irish artist Katie Holten is engaged in the development of a highly diverse array of projects, from relational art to low-tech objects, but all of her work is characterised by her personal involvement and commitment, and she actively monitors each stage in its production. |
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In the workshop of the San Pasquale school, a project presented at the 50th Venice Biennale (2003), Holten presented a public platform in which local artists, designers, writers, actors, musicians, scientists and architects were able to express themselves and compare their work. The principle behind these practices is expressed in terms of “art as a state of encounter” in Nicolas Bourriaud’s Relational Aesthetics. The audience is invited to sit down and spend time in the workshop, watching the videos projected and taking the papers created by the artist. The concept of “gift”, capable of freeing the market economy simply and directly, is extremely important for Holten, who often makes magazines, booklets or pamphlets to give to the public.
The generally ephemeral installation coincides with a nomadic type of artistic practice and lifestyle. In response to this approach, Holten, known as the “Weed Lady”, often gathers wild plants that she casually finds in her path – in New York as in Venice – and replants them, or makes a private, possibly portable, garden.
The uprooted tree that dominates the great hall of the CCCS, made for Green Platform by the artist herself during a week’s stay in Florence, is a very powerful symbol, capable of combining delicacy and brutality. Its surface, made from paper and cardboard covered with shiny black adhesive tape, contrasts strongly with the natural appearance of the forms, denouncing their contrivance. The tree, the very symbol of nature, thus assumes a deadly meaning, making us reflect on the delicate and fragile condition of the natural ecosystems. The indoor installation, purposely compressed by the ceiling, with the roots floating on the floor instead of buried, is a visual condemnation of the global environmental crisis.
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Excavated Tree, 2009
site-specific installation: wood, newspaper, cardboard, duct tape
produced by CCCS, Florence
Courtesy the artist.
Photo Credit: CCCS, Firenze; Valentina Muscedra |
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