Funny Face: Sub-Project A

funny face Sub-Project A The Hague, Netherlands December 2017

‘Funny Face: Sub-Project A’ augments 2017’s Funny Face mail art project.

Conceived as a series of flyers, these handouts propose alternatives for Igor Mitoraj’s ‘Per Adriano’, a striking visual component located on Muzenplein in The Hague.

A ghostly image of the 1993 sculpture appears on both sides of the flyers.

Revealing the back (or negative) side of the sculpture, this picture calls attention to its mask-like character by emphasising the hollow side of the face.

But while the image is intact on one side of the flyer, on the other side it has been erased and overlaid with one of a series of 17 portraits made by artists from 17 different countries, all of whom participated in the Funny Face mail art project.

The flyers, which have a dual purpose, were hand-delivered to all Muzenplein mailboxes.

They are an unsolicitied gift and, in ignoring the ‘no adverts’ stickers adorning most mailboxes, also function as a modest provocation.

It is hoped that the flyers will re-awaken the residents’ awareness of ‘Per Adriano’ by causing them to see the sculpture a bit differently.

They could acquire a better understanding of its shape, configuration and placement and come to enjoy the way light changes the look of its surfaces.

In looking more closely at this object, they might find unexpected surprises or become intrigued by the subject’s ambiguous facial expression.

In generating new impressions of or related to the work, the flyers will change the art work’s status.

People wouldn’t see it as an obstacle, a thing tough enough to withstand kicking, or a lumpen piece of metal inviting defacement with scratches, spray paint or stickers, but as engaging element of the development – a steadfast, though silent, neighbour.

Information about the Funny Face mail art project here: https://issuu.com/johngayer/docs/funny_face_catalogue_2017

Igor Mitoraj – Per Adriano 1993

Muzenplein, Den Haag – Square of the Muses, The Hague Design: Adolfo Natalini – Constructed 2000 The reference to Muses harks back to ancient Greece and recalls the Building for Arts and Sciences, which was once located in this area.

(Source: http://www.denhaag.wiki/index.php/nl/straten/350-muzenplein)