SCOPE LONDON 2005

HAPPENINGText: Sayaka Hirakawa

Not only museums or galleries are places for art. So many art fairs are going on in London this Autumn, with rooms that are pretty unusual. For starters, let’s have a look at St Martin’s Lane, off Trafalgar square. Of course you will see St Martins Lane Hotel which is all designed by Philippe Starck.

One, taking place using whole first Floor, is Scope London. This is an international art fair with 50 exhibits taking place in and outside the U.K. Audiences are visiting each room of the Hotel to see all the different works presented at the minimally designed places.

Now, I met a lovely female artist at room 119. She is a performance artist, called Liuba. In her VHS works, she wore a black mini dress, black lady like gloves and a black veil. All over them and also her skin, she was putting red dot stickers. The title of the work is “Virus”. Wearing Virus, she attended an opening party of a big art exhibition. Then she stuck the red dots on the wall just next to each work, very elegantly indeed. In the art world, a red dot sticker indicates a sold item.

“Although” she said, “only putting this sticker on, people start being interested in the works.” It is one of the biggest reasons one judge’s artworks; that someone has already bought it.” It is exactly how a virus works that such a small dot can make big influence. The video shows the response of people she met at the party, and one of the curators. “In Milan, people appreciate my performance as art but in N.Y they trashed me.” Surely, nobody can buy anything because there are already signs of ‘sold’. The curators must freak out. No matter how attractive her virus outfits are.

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