Manifesto 3 (...instead of Partial Object)

The collaborative project work, seth/tallentire has been ongoing since 1993. 'Manifesto 3' is the most recent outcome of the collaboration; it was commissioned for 'Densité ±0' and included a two week residency through ENSBA. A second work, 'Spool' (video, 2000) was selected for an accompanying screening/performance event and receives its first major public screening at this exhibition. 'Manifesto 3' is the third part of a series of works beginning with 'Manifesto 1' (exhibited in the group show 'Preditor.', curated by Jorn Ebner and Giles Perry, at KX-Kampnagel, Hamburg, 2001); the second part is detailed in output 3.

'Manifesto 3' evidences the research into and exploration of the politics and processes of improvisation and contingency in relation to the making of art. The work draws upon the traditions of sculpture (constructivism, 1960s modernism) and assemblage, forging a relationship to temporality, particularly through the use of video. The ‘sculptural material’ is made up of objects found on the streets of London, the gallery in Paris and the gallery and streets of Fribourg. The video comprised recordings of ‘actions’ performed in the artists’ studio and images of objects in the streets of London and Paris.

The ‘found materials’ are specifically chosen for their relationship to ‘domestic’ and ‘office’ furniture, which is then dismantled to reduce the identification of the objects’ specific use and to draw attention to the objects’ materiality. 'Manifesto 3' is re-worked at Fri-Art, responding to the particularity of the gallery space and – as indicated above – by incorporating found materials in the gallery and the environment of Fribourg. Importantly, the research and artefacts produced propose a ‘non-representational’ politics of art, against prevailing ideas of ‘identity politics’, which is thought through the ‘making’ of art.