Kelly; Hoffmann Reid; Wood, Jens; Darling, Michael Sheir

Catalogue for an exhibition held at the Contemporary Art Gallery (Vancouver) from November 20 to January 4, 2003.

'Ron Terada’s recent work uses the exhibition as a medium, and employs promotional and didactic material—things that might normally be thought of as ancillary to the art itself—as raw material. Recent works by the artist, for example, include neon signs which hang on, and act as, the title wall at the entrance to group exhibitions in which Terada has been included. In similar fashion the artist has designed posters to advertise exhibitions as his contribution to them.

In Catalogue, Terada occupies and exaggerates the means by which an institution such as the Contemporary Art Gallery exists by making private patronage the content of an artwork. In the artist’s words: “Public institutions devoted to contemporary visual art maintain themselves through public and private philanthropy—granting organizations, members of the gallery, volunteers, and other donors being but a few—which necessitate relationships that are in need of renewal and upkeep. With the support of a number of contributors, I wish to expose and alter the mandate of such an institution—and the mechanisms by which it realizes this mandate—within the context of an exhibition.” To realize this goal, Terada sought the participation of patrons to support and facilitate the cost of producing an artist’s catalogue.'

(Abstract source: http://www.contemporaryartgallery.ca)… (mehr)