11th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art

I heard that this piece has the reputation of being an ‘important’ artwork, so I spend a few extra seconds lingering in front of it, but am distracted because I consumed too much coffee, am still churning over the details of a family fight at dinner last night, then notice that in my summer clothes the air conditioning feels a little cold. While the interpretation of art often focuses on the pieces themselves, A BULKY BAG CAN WEIGH YOU DOWN AND STOP YOU FROM FULLY EXPERIENCING THE AWE AND WONDER OF THE WORLD Laresa Kosloff’s Public announcements 3 2024 is a reminder that we cannot escape our subjectivity when visiting art museums. IF YOU FIND YOURSELF IN SOUR COMPANY, SUGGEST AN ICE CREAM OR TREAT. Public announcements 3 is a series of pithy reflections broadcast over the gallery’s announcement system about the role of public spaces, social mores and what influences our engagement with art in a distracted digital age dominated by capitalism. The statements are a mix of private thought bubbles ( IT’S NO GOOD THINKING LIKE THAT ); social-etiquette tips ( VISITORS ARE ADVISED TO LEAVE A GAP BETWEEN COMPLIMENTING SOMEONE AND ASKING FOR A FAVOUR ); remarks not meant to be shared ( THE RESULTS ARE IN! 97% OF OTHER VISITORS WOULD NOT WEAR YOUR CLOTHES ); and sayings whose meanings are open to interpretation ( LET’S TEACH THE REAL HISTORY ). Announced at intervals throughout the day, Public announcements 3 impinges on the interpretation of other artworks, interrupts thoughts and gets in the way of visitors’ conversations. I’M JUST NOT BUYING THAT. Kosloff employs the voice actor Soula Alexander and sound designer Final Sound to ensure Public announcements 3 reflects the conventional tones of public addresses that are found in cultural institutions and shopping centres around the world. SOCIAL SPACE BECOMES AN EXHIBITION SPACE. Alexander clearly annunciates each word in Kosloff’s scripts. Her voice is authoritative yet has a sense of warmth that ensures the listener does not perceive her as a threat. Alexander’s voice and intonation has similarities with Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa digital assistants, whose reassuring feminine-inflected subservience has aided their smooth integration into private homes and daily life. In Public announcements 3 , Kosloff draws attention to how ideas of gender roles permeate spaces in which hospitality, commercialism and surveillance overlap. SOME OF THE MUSEUMS PROVIDE WONDERFUL CAFES AND RESTAURANTS. By using the gallery’s existing public address system rather than installing speakers specifically for Public announcements 3 , Kosloff draws attention to the infrastructure of the art museum. The artist’s announcements PEOPLE ARE SELDOM AWARE OF THE REAL REASONS THAT MOTIVATE THEIR ACTIONS are interspersed between the museum’s standard statements about guided tours, gallery closing times and, on the rare occasion, safety or emergency notices. Kosloff’s artwork draws our attention to how our movements are choreographed within the gallery. PEOPLE WILL PERIODICALLY GLANCE DOWN AT A PLASTIC OBJECT IN THEIR HANDS AND SMILE. Since Public announcements 3 has an institutional tone, there is often a lag in comprehending its content as art rather than the expected bureaucratic declarations. It can even result in the artwork being completely ignored by some visitors. Public announcements 3 draws out the varying levels of attentiveness to the public gallery’s civic functions. THE FUNDAMENTAL LOGIC OF ANY ECONOMY IS THE GIFT. WHEN GIVING, IT IS THE THOUGHT THAT COUNTS. ELLIE BUTTROSE BORN 1974, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA LIVES+WORKS INMELBOURNE LARESAKOSLOFF A visitor experiences Public announcements 3 2024 at the Gallery of Modern Art ARTISTS+PROJECTS ASIAPACIFICTRIENNIAL 128 — 129