Douglasism Book 2015 by Kim Kim Gallery

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Douglasism by Kim Kim Gallery

Douglasism Kim Kim Gallery First published by Workroom Press, in September 2015 On the occasion of the Douglasism Festival, Seoul 20 September – 17 November 2013 Edited & Designed by workroom Translated by Simon Kim, Im Suseon Printed in Korea

All texts © the authors Images © the artists & Kim Kim Gallery unless indicated differently Workroom Press 4, Jahamun-ro 16-gil (2F), Jongno-gu, Seoul Korea 03043 +82-2-6013-3246 tel +82-2-725-3248 fax workroom@wkrm.kr ISBN: 978-89-94207-52-0 03600 douglasism.blogspot.com www.kimkimgallery.com www.workroompress.kr All rights reserved. No Part of this book may be reproduced by means without permission in writing from the copyright holders.

Contents

Prelude / Gregory Maass 서문 / 그레고리 마스 Interview with Douglas Park @ Corner Station Douglas Park’s First Days in Korea Your ground park (A Douglas Park by U Sunok) Speech is Matter Death in the Afternoon By Accident I Black Sheep Lecture # 53 Douglas’ six-parks By Accident II Mr. Park D. Film Presentation Film Noir Machine Douglas Park Greatest Hits Audio Album & Year Launch Douglasism, Itemized Miasma Commensuratio Douglasism Screening

6 10 20 42 48 54 62 68 72 76 82 86 90 94 110 120 124

The Main Bulk of My Output / Douglas Park 내가 생산하는 대부분의 것들 / 더글러스 파크

142 144

Douglas Park’s Biobibliography

148

La légende comme source / Damien Airault Legend as a Source / Damien Airault 기원으로서의 전설 / 다미앵 애로

228 228 230

PRELUDE

I first met Douglas Park in 2006, at A.I.R, in the former lockkeeper’s house of the harbor of Antwerp, where Nayoungim and I were granted a studio for a season. A rather gothic building, in a post or actively industrial location, on the border between the old and new harbor, next to a still working and busy watergate. Later on, Douglas described the location, atmosphere and experience in retrospect as being “an old house next to a mechanical bridge, where lockkeepers would have lived or worked! And it’s in the harbour. And it’s almost as though you’re in the middle-of-nowhere, but you’re next-door to the centre of the city, you can see battleships out of the kitchen window, very sort of dreamlike environment.”1 Back then Douglas Park stayed in a sparsely furnished room on the upper floor. The first conversation I remember having with Douglas Park was an inquiry about his daily diet, due to concern and curiosity about his rather slender physique. He smilingly lifted his index finger and answered in his melodious baritone voice rising to crescendo, “I only drink and do not eat and will finish by slipping through the cracks in the floor…” Not for the last time, I was surprised by the pedantic and precise manner of speaking, intermingled with inventive wordplay, which is so common to him. To my delight he did not tire to repeat this statement very voluntarily as soon as he lay eyes on me over the following few weeks. Even though I caught him a few times preparing solid food. These days Douglas Park dismisses the above anecdote largely as a product of my overly active imagination, so much so that I myself become uncertain about what really happend. Douglas Park is a man of slender built and mostly reserved attitude one might even call shy, with a tuft of strong wavy hear and a prominent jawbone, like somebody you might expect in a Victorian daguerrotype. “Again, I am more akin to almost somebody from a previous time and place, transported into the present day, somewhat anachronistic or somehow trying to adapt to, survive, make sense of or engage with, you know, contemporary reality, art, real life, politics, society, whatever.”2 Since early on, Douglas Park had an insatiable interest in art and art history. Whoever converses with him for more than a few moments might experience that Douglas Park’s memory is inexorable if triggered and totally recalls some of his arcane historical fact. For example: the not so well known at all, maybe no longer existing, just undisclosed, or simply rotting away, in some classified folder, still falling under the seal of official secrecy, but soon hopefully to be published, and realized project, which Robert Filliou claimed to have or is said by some to have undertaken during his time spent working for the UN engineer element in Korea, in the 1950s. Perhaps, we might never know. “I suppose from

PRELUDE

an early age, I had a tendency to almost involuntarily, almost like some kind of recreational kind of academic research, rather escapist and nostalgic. An Aesthetic Anesthetic! I had this, I suppose, interest in art history. Probably because art is a specific subject or area, that can concern, relate to or include (at least supposedly, can include), any and everything. Supposedly, a universal and all-encompassing area.”3 Despite known influences, the idiosyncratic amalgam of Park’s work spans from journalism to poetry, from art criticism to curation, from essays to acting and to an abundance of recitals, which he reduces down into a summarized definition or downright stub, whilst also entered into and recorded as an ever-updated and growing, already extensive and multi-categorical biobibliography. In order to get an impression of the consistency of Douglas Park’s work, I am careful to quote Clemens Krümmel analyzing Douglas Park’s recital form as follows: “The paratactic approach that he uses when he reads out, to not only expand into the notional and phatic spaces that speech offers, but also to line up words, the sound, their facture, their texture, like pearls on a shaky string — in TIME. I claim that it is a meaningful component of his mastery to make words sound like something extremely equivocal and even fishy. It always remains a speaking act, not in an emphatic sense (in which articulate speech always only appears as a tool of empowerment of a subject), but rather in the sense of speech as a tool of caution. By taking out, or leaving out, most syntagmatic grammatical elements that usually regulate the economy of power in spoken and written language, especially in Western languages, by avoiding larger sentence and sub-sentence constructions, he carves out of language what really makes it tick, what really gives it its power over people: the incredible situational power of the continuously moving and elusive present, the ungraspable present tense of time-space.”4 More often than not, considered strange or at least a defiant, mysterious and wildly eccentric personage, by his less unforgiving contemporaries; he is an artist and figure to be considered in the historic line of the tradition of the Belgian artist James Baron Ensor, a William Blake or even an Aleister Crowley (sans the latter’s vile character and sometimes cruel actions, of course). Eccentricity is often associated with genius, intellectual giftedness, or creativity. People may perceive Douglas Park‘s eccentricity as the outward expression of his unique intelligence or creative impulse. In this vein, some of Douglas Park’s habits are incomprehensible, not because they are illogical or the result of irrationality, but because they stem from a mind so original that it cannot conform or be confined to societal norms. During a light lunch on the first day in Seoul after the shooting of the documentary Mr. Park D. on Jeju Island he described his frame of mind as such: “Usually, when I

PRELUDE

am staying somewhere strange to me and something is about to happen like a meeting or a project or a journey, I keep falling in and out of sleep and dreams; and reality and the immediate environment sort of becomes what I call “reality-warps”; they sort of cut-up and exchange and there is much interplay and hybrid between them.”5

PRELUDE

Special thanks go to Rut Blees Luxemburg, Keef Winter and Tom Fox for producing the “Greatest Hits” CD, of works, chosen and recited by Douglas Park himself, which may be found in the back of this book you are holding now, as well as to Cel Crabeels, who realized a documentary about and with Douglas Park, however improbable the outcome and against all odds, following Douglas Park’s every step through the semi-tropical island of Jeju, from public recital and autographing at tourist-trap waterfalls, then on-set shooting sessions, to a smoky motel room delirium climactic rant. Special thanks go to Sonia Dermience from Komplot, Brussels, and art critic / curator Damien Airault from Paris, for all their active support and personal involvement; all those who contributed to this festival, such as collaborators, art institutions, collectors; the people from Workroom Press, who all made this publication possible; then, finally, of course, last but by no means least, Douglas Park, himself. Gregory Maass (co-director of Kim Kim Gallery)

The following book attempts to show and honor the wide range of Douglas Park’s creativity, to transfer how it was presented as an “Itemized Miasma”, during the Douglasism Festival, in Seoul, in 2013. The term “Douglasism” derives from an event called “Douglasisms” which commemorated the 33rd birthday of Douglas Park, and was initiated by the London-based collective, Decima, with an artwork depicting Douglas Park by the late Piers Wardle (U.K multimedia artist and musician, 1960 – 2009) at the Gallery Upstairs in London in 2005. “And there was this 1-day event, Douglasisms, where phrases I’d often came up with, appeared on a cartoon based on me, by Piers Wardle (who sometimes called himself, Lewis Draper), an artist who is no longer with us, having sadly died of a brain hemorrhage, rather unexpectedly several years ago. … But the Douglasisms were based on things, you know, phrases I’d invented or readymade language that I’ve appropriated, in speech, communication or writing. And there was, and people were invited to come up with their own Douglasisms, by filling in speech bubbles on the cartoons. … But that’s basically the origin of Douglasism. A reference to Douglasisms and Douglas Day, 23rd of January, 2005.”6 “Douglasisms” being self-authored or readymade phrases used by Douglas Park for various meanings and purposes. Kim Kim Gallery appropriated this “great” title to embrace the totality of Douglas Park’s work, collaborations with Douglas Park and Douglas Park related work and material.

1 – 3 4 5 6

Excerpt form “Corner Station Interview”, 2013, see pp.22 – 41. Excerpt from “Speech is matter”, a video lecture by Clemens Krümmel, 2013, see p.58. Excerpt from Mr. Park D., a film by Cel Crabeels, 2013, see p.88. Excerpt form “Corner Station Interview”, 2013, see pp.30.

서문

내가 더글러스 파크를 처음 만난 것은 2006년, A.I.R에서였다. 한동안 나와 김나영은

요약된 일부일 뿐이라며 일축하지만, 광범위하고 다양한 분야에 걸친 그의 이력은

전에 앤트워프 항 수문 관리인의 집이었던 곳을 스튜디오로 사용하고 있었다. 고딕풍의

끊임없이 업데이트되며 자라나고 있다.

그 집은 활기찬 산업 지구 내, 옛 항구와 새 항구 사이의 경계에 있었고, 옆에서는

더글러스 파크의 작품이 가지는 일관성에 대한 이해를 돕기 위해 클레멘스

수문이 여전히 바쁘게 작동되고 있었다. 훗날 더글러스는 그곳의 분위기와 경험을

크뤼멜이 분석한 더글러스 파크 낭송회의 형식을 조심스레 인용하자면 다음과 같다.

회상하며 이렇게 묘사했다. “수문관리인이 살거나 일했던, 기계식 다리 옆에 있는 낡은

“그가 낭송할 때 사용하는 병렬적인 방식은, 언어가 제공하는 관념적이고 의례적인

집이었지. 그리고 항구에 있었어. 도심 바로 옆이면서도 마치 멀리 떨어진 외진 곳 같은,

공간들로 확장하기 위함일 뿐 아니라 단어와 소리, 기법, 질감을 일정한 리듬으로

부엌 창밖으로 군함이 보이는 아주 꿈만 같던 환경이었지.” 1 당시 더글러스는 가구가

흔들리는 줄 위의 진주알들처럼 나열하기 위함이다. 나는 이 방식이, 낱말들을 극도로

간소한 다락방에서 지내고 있었다.

모호하고 심지어 뭔가 수상하게까지 들리게 하는 데 통달한 그의 능력에서 오는

내가 기억하는 우리의 첫 번째 대화는 그의 식습관에 관한 것이었다. 꽤나

의미 있는 요소라고 주장하고 싶다. 말하는 행위는 늘, 단호함(명료한 발화는 항상

호리호리했던 그의 체격에 호기심도 들고 또 걱정도 됐기 때문이다. 그는 미소를

대상에 힘을 부여하는 도구로 쓰인다)보다는 오히려 경고의 도구로서 언어에 남아

지으며 검지를 들어 올리고는 듣기 좋은 바리톤 목소리를 점점 높이며 답했다. “ 나는

있다. 음성언어와 문자언어(특히 서구의 언어에서)에서 권력의 경제를 조절하는

오직 마실 뿐 먹지 않으니 언젠가는 마룻바닥 틈새로 스며들며 끝나겠지…….”

가장 통합체적(syntagmatic) 문법 요소를 제거하거나 빼놓음으로써, 복문 구조를

아무렇지도 않게 재치 있는 말장난을 지어내는 그의 현학적이면서도 정확한 말재간에

피함으로써, 그는 언어를 통해 반응하게 만드는 무언가를, 사람들에게 힘을 행사하는

놀란 적이 한두 번이 아니다. 기쁘게도 이후 몇 주 동안 그는 나를 만날 때마다 싫증내지

그 무언가를 만들어낸다. 믿을 수 없는 상황적 힘, 지속적으로 움직이며 교묘히

않고 이 말을 반복했다. 요리하는 모습을 몇 번 들키기까지 했으면서도 말이다. 근래

빠져나가는 현재의 믿을 수 없는 힘, 시간-공간의 잡히지 않는 현재 시제 말이다.” 4

더글러스는 이 일화를 거의 내 과도한 상상의 산물로 치부해버리곤 한다. 그러다 보니 나 자신도 이것이 실제로 일어났던 일인지 확신이 들지 않는다. 더글러스 파크는 빅토리아 시대의 은판 사진에서나 볼 법한 곱슬머리와 각진

더글러스 파크는 덜 혹독한 비평가인 요즘 사람들에게조차 자주 기이하다고, 적어도 반항적이고 신비롭고 걷잡을 수 없는 괴짜라고 평가받는 사람이다. 그는 벨기에 화가 제임스 엔조, 윌리엄 블레이크, 심지어 알리스터 크로울리(물론 그의

턱을 가진, 왜소한 체격의 내성적인 사람이다. “ 나는 아무래도 과거의 어느 시대,

극도로 불쾌한 성격과 행동은 빼고)의 전통을 잇는 역사적 계보 속에서 파악되는

어느 장소에서 현재로 뚝 떨어진 사람인 듯해. 조금 시대에 뒤떨어졌지만, 그럭저럭

작가이자 인사다. 기행은 종종 천재성, 지적 능력, 혹은 창의력과 연관되는데, 더글러스

적응하고 살아남아, 보다시피 지금의 현실, 예술, 생활, 정치, 사회, 이런 것들과 어울려

파크의 기행은 특유의 지적 능력이나 창의적 충동의 표출로 인식할 수 있다. 이런

” 2

살아가는 중이지.

일찍부터 더글러스 파크는 미술과 미술사에 끊임없는 관심을 보였다. 잠깐이라도 더글러스 파크와 대화를 해본 사람이라면 누구든지 알 수 있을 것이다.

기질은 이해하기 힘든 더글러스 파크의 어떤 습관들, 비논리 혹은 비합리의 결과가 아니라 대단히 독창적인 발상에서 시작되어 사회적 규범에 따르거나 거기에 한정될 수 없기 때문에 빚어진 것이다. 제주에서 다큐멘터리 촬영을 끝내고 서울에 돌아온

그의 기억은 방아쇠가 한 번 당겨지면 거침없어, 신비로운 역사적 사실들을 완벽하게

날 점심 식사 중 ‘Mr. 파크 D.’는 그의 심리 상태에 대해 이렇게 설명했다. “낯선

떠올린다는 것을. 예를 들면 거의 알려지지 않은, 어쩌면 더는 존재하지 않고, 비밀에 부쳐졌거나, 공무상 기밀문서 철 안에서 삭아 없어지는 중일지도 모르지만, 곧

곳에서 묵게 되거나, 미팅, 프로젝트, 여행 같은 일들을 시작할 무렵이면, 난 잠과 꿈에 빠졌다 깨어나기를 반복해. 그리고 현실과 당면한 환경은, 뭐랄까…… 나는 ‘ 현실-

발표되어 햇빛을 볼 수도 있을 프로젝트에 대한 이야기 같은 것들이다. 정확한 사실은

왜곡’이라고 부르는데, 절단되고 교환되는 그 사이엔 많은 상호작용과 혼합이 있지.” 5

결코 알 수 없겠지만, 1950 년대 초 로베르 피유가 주한 UN 공병 부대에서 근무하던 시절 착수했다고 주장했거나, 그렇게 소문이 난 프로젝트 말이다. “난 어릴 때부터

이 책은 2013년 서울에서 열린 ‘더글러시즘 페스티벌’에서 “불온한 공기”로 표현된

좀 그랬어. 아카데믹한 연구들 중 오락적인 것, 심지어는 현실 도피적이고 향수를

더글러스 파크의 광범위한 창의성을 제시하고 그에 경애를 표하고자 한다. ‘더글러시즘(Douglasism)’이란 말은 더글러스 파크의 서른세 번째 생일을 기념해

불러일으키는 것에 나도 모르게 끌리는 경향이 있지. 미학적 마취제! 미술사에 관심을 가진 것도 이 때문일 거라 생각해. 미술은 그 어느 것, 아니 모든 것에 관련되고, 모든

열린 ‘더글러시즘들(Douglasisms)’이라는 이벤트에서 유래했다. 런던에 기반한

것을 다루고 포함하는(최소한, 포함 ‘ 할 수 있는’) 특정한 주제, 혹은 영역이니까.

콜렉티브 데시마가 기획한 이 이벤트는 고(故) 피어스 워들(1960 – 2009, 영국

광범위한, 모든 것을 아우르는 영역이겠지.” 3 그가 받은 영향의 기원이 알려졌기는 해도, 여전히 너무나 특이한 혼합체인

멀티미디어 작가이자 음악가)이 그린 더글러스 파크의 초상화 간판을 걸고 2005년 런던의 업스테어즈 갤러리에서 열렸다. “하루짜리 이벤트였던 ‘더글러시즘’은

더글러스 파크의 작품은 저널리즘에서 시, 미술 평론에서 전시 기획, 글쓰기에서

슬프게도 몇 년 전 갑작스러운 뇌출혈로 사망해 이제는 우리 곁에 없는 피어스

연기에 이르기까지 두루 걸쳐 있으며, 여기에는 무수히 많은 낭송회도 포함된다. 그는

워들(가끔 자신을 ‘루이스 드레이퍼’라 불렀던)이 그린 만화로 제시되었지. 하지만

서문

책이 만들어질 수 있도록 도움을 준 이들, 워크룸 프레스, 그리고 마지막으로 물론, 그 누구보다도 중요한, 더글러스 파크에게 깊은 감사를 드린다. 그레고리 마스 (킴킴 갤러리 공동 디렉터)

더글러시즘은 내가 고안한 문장들, 혹은 내가 차용한 레디메이드 언어, 소통, 혹은 글쓰기에 기반한 것이었어. 그리고 관객들이 더글러스 파크 만화의 말풍선을 채워 저마다의 더글러시즘을 제안한 것이 2005년 1월 23일 더글러스 데이와 더글러시즘의 기원이라고 할 수 있어.” 6 ‘더글러시즘’은 여러 가지 의미와 목적을 위해 더글러스 파크가 고안했거나 사용한 레디메이드 언어이다. 킴킴 갤러리는 더글러스 파크의 작업 전체, 동료 작가들과의 협업, 그리고 그와 관련된 작업과 자료 모두를 포괄하기 위해 이 ‘위대한’ 제목을 차용했다. 킴킴 갤러리는 이 책에 수록된 ‘더글러스 파크 그레이트 히츠’ CD 제작을 위해 더글러스 파크의 가장 훌륭한 텍스트를 선정한 런던의 동료 작가 루트 블레스 룩셈부르크와 키프 윈터, 더글러스 파크의 낭송을 녹음한 톰 폭스, 고군분투에도 불구하고 결말이 날지 의심스러운 상황의 아열대 섬 제주의 바가지 관광지에서 개최한 더글러스 파크의 낭송회와 사인회, 세트 촬영장, 연기로 가득한 모텔 방의 시끄러운 섬망까지 매순간을 쫓으며 더글러스 파크 다큐멘터리를 제작한 셀 크라빌스, 브뤼셀의 미술 콜렉티브 콩플로의 큐레이터 소냐 데르미엉스, 파리의 미술 비평가이자 큐레이터 다미앵 애로의 적극적인 지지와 참여에 특별한 감사를 드린다. 이 페스티벌이 가능하도록 도움을 준 모든 이들, 협업 작가들, 미술 기관들, 자료 제공자들과, 이

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더글러스 파크와의 인터뷰, 코너 스테이션, 2013 년 10 월 10 일, 22 – 41쪽 참조.

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셀 크라빌스, 「Mr. Park D.」, 2013. 88 쪽 참조. 같은 인터뷰, 30 쪽 참조.

클레멘스 크뤼멜, <Speech is Matter>, 비디오 강연, 2013 년 10 월 15일, 58 쪽 참조.

Interview with Douglas Park @ Corner Station

(Online Radio)

The interview with Douglas Park took place at the Corner Art Space in Seoul, for an online radio broadcast. The interviewers were Ji Yoon Yang and Gregory Maass. For the interview, Douglas Park elaborated comprehensively about himself, his art practice and influences, as well as providing arcane art historical facts and answering questions about the idiosynchrasies of his voice. Ji Yoon Yang is director of Corner Art Space, as well as co-director (with Baruch Gottlieb) of Seoul international sound art festival: Radio Art Festival in Seoul.

Interview with Douglas Park @ Corner Station

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Hello. This is Corner Station from Seoul. We’re here today with Douglas Park. An artist from the U.K., here for an exhibition called Douglasism Festival. Also, with Gregory Maass from Kim Kim Gallery. Kim Kim Gallery is organizing this exhibition, which is an interesting art project, referring to the artist’s own name. So, hello. Hello. Thank you for inviting us. Thank you for coming. (to Gregory Maass) And thank you very much for originating it. And (to Corner Station) thank you for inviting us here to this interview. My 1st question is maybe a bit personal, but is “Park” your original family name or is it a part of your persona? it is my birthname, Park. (interrupting) Really? (continuing) I’m not 1 of these artists whose name is an artwork. Like Billy Apple®, Ian Baxter &, Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, Goran “Artiste Anonyme” Trbuljak, or someone I’ve worked with, Gideon Sherman, who makes work changing his name by deed-poll, like New Gideon Sherman, Gideon Cube-Sherman and Gideon Mœbius-Sherman. My birthname is “Park”. (interrupting) Yes. (continuing) Which I understand, by coincidence, alongside “Kim” and “Yang”, is a very well known family name here in Korea. Yes. What is the meaning of the word and name “Park” in Korean language and culture? (laughs softly) I don’t know. I need to look it up. Is it like “Smith” in English, “Patel” in India and whatever “Takahashi” means in Japanese? It’s also 1 of the 3 or 5 biggest Korean last names. I think so. I’ll have to look it up. It’s very common. But it is honestly my birthname. Yeah. Because I thought that it was a persona you created. No. I don’t work with personas. I suppose, much of what I do, as well as what is, I suppose, self-conscious, deliberate, intentional

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(Online Radio)

Interview with Douglas Park @ Corner Station

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or premeditated, I suppose what I find myself becoming aware of, is I basically react to or engage with opportunities, commissions, collaborations, which are mostly connected with working with other people or other people’s practices. As I think I’ve said several times, almost “living through” other people’s activities in terms of my own production or outlet, much of what I do is input that’s often produced or coming across in a very sort of autonomous or self-important way. But again, it’s not something I necessarily set out to do, in many ways, I’m certainly all too aware of this, but it is I suppose how the way things work out, in the sense that things become very consistent. You have a very, so for the audience, a very peculiar voice, I think, many people think that. Even in the United Kingdom! Your voice, even in the United Kingdom, its over-, lets say overpronounced, overchiseled, speaking voice. Tell us about that, the role of your voice in your art, did you artificially train yourself or just I mean, evidently, train yourself to? If… I’m not sure what the actual answer to this is, because again it doesn’t relate to anything I was ever… I mean, for instance, especially if I was trying to say something of importance, as I am now, I actually very much try to listen to or physically feel what I am saying, at the very time, almost like I’m visually looking at myself. When I’m saying things off-the-cuff, which may relate to readymade reality that already exists, as I am now, there’s often an attempt to at least control or perfect the quality, form, sound or, you might say, image of my voice (very synesthesiac!). If I’m reciting or recording something that I’ve already written, there’s far more effort and channeling that I summon up and do my utmost to exercise and use. Again, its almost as if its though, similar to my writing or what I describe or the perceptual, physical, cultural presence or experience of my output and what I do, its almost as though it were something physical made of material, say sculpture, objects, environments, kinetic art, earthworks, buildings, architecture or perhaps a visual image. Only happening to exist and be made out of language, to be read, looked at, heard, ignored or maybe to have some less tangible effect upon people. I mean, that’s a perfectly valid question, but I’m not really sure beyond what I just attempted to say if or how that could actually be answered. That was a very nice answer. Please. Next question. A rather long one, rather rambling as well! I heard that 2013 this year has been your 20th

Interview with Douglas Park @ Corner Station

(Online Radio)

anniversary since you debuted as an artist. My 20th?! I’ve been involved in things since I was a teenager. I don’t know the significance of that. 20th. What was your 1st artwork or 1st art experience? C I think I started making art, as a kid, in the 1980’s, amidst D otherwise rather unfortunate external circumstances. What does that mean, the “rather unfortunate external G circumstances”. I’d prefer not to discuss. D Where did you grow up? C In a sort of a backwater, a suburb, some distance from London, D in the South East of the United Kingdom. Where I still… again, because of circumstance, not because of some choice, merit or flexibility to the situation, I’m still stuck living or existing now, when I’m not elsewhere. But I mean I’ve been involved in things as far back I suppose as the late 1980’s when I was a teenager. But when I did actually produce visual art, there was some outlet for some of it, I was never particularly, perhaps because I was such an isolated person, I wasn’t particularly adept at always dealing with opportunities or if anything fell through or went wrong and then because of other things in my personal life, I just tended to abandon that. My present semi-, almost — or non — “career” began, I suppose, at the end of the 1990’s or the year 2000, when whatever it was I had ever deluded myself or deceived others that I did, I had long since quit. What do you think of when somebody like me says your G work is more immaterial? Like, meaning you don’t have… (interrupting) Actual work!? (Laughs) C (continuing) Any tangible product. Actually, it’s totally G wrong to say that. Its like the distinction between software and hardware. (both in unison together) Yes. D&C Or a service or a product. D Whats your opinion, how do you feel about that, is that a G good point, is immateriality interesting to you? I don’t think I’m exactly like 1 of these people like the English D Dadaist, Arthur Cravan. Or, O.K., so the man was quite an important social figure, but in the 18th Century, 1 of the 1st distinguished freed-slaves, was the coffee-trader, Ignatius Sancho. Although his correspondence is almost like letter-writing in the style of Laurence Sterne, with a lot of found banal language, used in and to very humorous ends. Or, other people. You know, it’s disputable what they… you know, “members without portfolio”, D

Interview with Douglas Park @ Corner Station

(Online Radio)

like “Bez” in the Happy Mondays. The Vienna author, who was or is also quite an important mathematics, logic and technology expert, Oswald Wiener, who did write, if not a novel, a bookwork, presenting philosophical findings, called “die Verbesserung von Mitteleuropa, Roman” (improvement, bettering, salvation etc of Central Europe). So what do you think of immateriality? G Immateriality. The strange things is, I don’t… You know, like, D for instance, artworks that seem to take the form of absence or removal, as though it were something more present or material. Like that sort of survey-exhibition of which the book was the real production, in Paris, that also toured to Switzerland, Voids: A Retrospective, which was basically a retrospective of all the greatest voids of all time, like Yves Klein and Martin Creed etc… In neither of the 2 venues was it on for very long, but the book, of which there’s an English and also a French edition, I think I… As I jested once was, well, it was a survey of all or different forms of nothing or different reasons for doing nothing. But no, I don’t think it’s an issue of nothing, emptiness and G void and… No. Which is at most simply an aspect of what I do. D You didn’t hear that yet? From Clemens Krümmel. He said… G I haven’t got access to what he has written. D He very brilliantly said, it’s just that any creation passes G through a moment of immateriality. And much that I do does actually exist in the physical and material D world… In the real world… G And you do also have to consider the… D It’s just a wrong issue, actually… G What I invent, in my prose, in my stories, which for some years D now have become increasingly identical. I mean, nobody would complain to an opera singer, that her G work is immaterial. No. I don’t know why people even actually bother. D Yes, exactly. G Although, then again, the obvious side of my work is most akin to D literature, rather than art. (both in unison together) Yes! G&C And I’ve not had much to do with contemporary literature. I mean, D I know people involved in it. And I did once have a paid job, as an editorial assistant or assistant editor, for the London Magazine. Should or may I ask you about, because yesterday we G

Interview with Douglas Park @ Corner Station

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talked about?… (both in unison together) Ian Hamilton Finlay… And that this person… Well, also all these people… “Wars”, were considered by you… nearly as an idol kind of orientation… Well, he had, well, he informed a lot of my visual work, although I never, myself, I suspect if I ever had anything to do with him, I’d have been, there’d have been some clash or fall out with him, as there had been with anybody or thing else he, Ian Hamilton Finlay in any way crossed paths or swords with. But there is… I suppose, I think I have said this before, I think I’m the opposite of these former authors, people of letters or literary authors, who then became more exposed or successful even, as visual artists. Marcel Broodthærs, Vito Acconci, Ian Hamilton Finlay, Jochen Gerz, Emmett Williams, Henri Michaux, Jiri Kolar, Jean-Claude Silbermann, etc, etc, etc. But theres all these common threads between their earlier work and what they went on to do, one practice very much informed the other, but just in superficial or real terms seems to have taken a different form or operated in a different part of culture. So how do you see your work, because your work or you performance often relates to texts you wrote and your recital? Recital, with or without ad lib or commentary… So how do see your relationship to contemporary literature or these kind of earlier 60’s performance artists? Again, I am more akin to almost somebody from a previous time and place, transported into the present day, somewhat anachronistic or somehow trying to adapt to, survive, make sense of or engage with, you know, contemporary reality, art, real life, politics, society, whatever. 1 difference between myself, and say, a novelist would be, unless I was writing… I have sometimes written quite lengthy “meta-literature” about projects, specific projects I’ve been involved with and aspects of my work, like inside-story behind-the-scenery, with much insight and lowdown in them. I doubt, for instance, I’d be able or prepared to write a novel. Even though that’s actually got more to do with publishing, publishers and editors, than the obvious author. Also, as much by circumstance rather than any choice or decision, but again, its 1 of these things I’m fully aware of, most of, my, usually the

Interview with Douglas Park @ Corner Station

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origination of my work, it’s, then it’s, you know, the development and finalisation stage of making myself produce it and then the outlet that it gets, is most of the time invariably connected with, you know, visual art or instead of visual art. It is very much my presence. Its very visual, all your… Do you mean what I describe? Yes, yes, yes, yes… Almost, “the look” of my work. If you see it published in a book, magazine or online? Even it’s the thematic work, like, O.K., “A nigh-on compulsory cliché”, it’s very visual, and also the more surrealistic texts also, all of your texts, it’s not like… They’re what I could never have done as a visual artist. Which is, I’m almost trying to stretch what is or isn’t possible in natural and artificial reality, somehow or other passing it off as though it’s normal or even boring, then there’s this moral ambiguity. Especially when I’m referring to things being quite harmful, you know, harm or wrongdoing of any kind, especially corporate, governmental or interpersonal, there’s this ambiguity, especially as regards the environment. Just as the places and the processes I’m describing, its this reality that’s neither natural nor artificial, it’s both familiar but also very strange, there’s this deliberate moral ambiguity to it, then the phrasing is very like that. And this is interesting for me, personally. I would like to know more about that. Because, how do you?… me, I get the impression, through your texts, on the 1 side, you are very humorous. (interrupting) Yes. (continuing) On the other side, it’s a very dark operation. Also, our archival show is called, Itemized Miasma… Dynamic Inventory! That’s my attempt to summarize what I do. The “Miasma” is at the centre! So describe the miasma. Where is this coming from, if you know, in what way is it interesting to you, how would you describe it if you can? Miasma? Or this darker side of your work, the humorous side is very… Well, I very much like contrasting… almost as though you’re simply just dealing with physical materials, imagery, qualities, with their associations, meanings and physical properties. Playing things off against each other, either making them contrast or somehow or other, a merge, blend or hybrid of them. And again, the way

Interview with Douglas Park @ Corner Station

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I try to pass everything off and make it come across, almost as though I’m sort of getting-away-with-it. And also, something I’m very keen on, is myself, not as an author or even a discoverer, this reality just existing anyway, without any culpability or accountability, nobody or nothing to blame or praise for it, it just exists, which is how most people accept reality anyway, in a way that just seems to go without saying. Even if you can, it is not clear what if anything can be done to change, even just survive or improve personal or collective circumstances or conditions. How do you see the authorship in contemporary art practice? Because you appeared in a lot of other people’s, other artist’s artworks. Your presence is very strong. Do you see them as… Am I?… Part of your artwork or as like… I very much… A collective? In a positive, enlightened or utopian way, theres is this collab… you know, friendsh… you know, some of these people, you know, we are actually lifelong nodding acquaintances. Some of them, some of them can just about remember who I am. But seriously, you know, the notion of collaboration, if that’s viewed in a romantic, optimistic or positive way, O.K., there’s also challenges, same as there are to any and every thing, but also I, there’s perhaps me in both senses of the word, being marginalized. Which could mean I’m exploited, victimized or invisible, but I could also be parasitic or exploitative myself, or deliberately or negligently harmful or damaging, either within that collaborative situation or some wider reality. Again, it creates an opportunity, excuse or justification, for myself to maybe just get something done and to get something to exist in reality, which I am and am not to blame or praise for. I mean, I do originate ideas or even whole works all the time, I don’t only make work to order, if somebody invites or if for whatever reason I’ve got myself in involved in something. I’m not sure how I myself would be, doing something that was only by me or about me and my own work. Which is 1 of the reasons I’m so grateful towards Gregory, Nayoungim, Kim Kim Gallery and all others involved in Douglasism festival, project, activities, new works… Let’s talk about Douglasism. The audience doesn’t know where this term is coming from. Yeah, what is Douglasism. Well, in 2005, when there was my 33rd birthday, people involved

Interview with Douglas Park @ Corner Station

(Online Radio)

in this London collective called Decima (mostly Alex Chappel and David C. West). There was a party on my 33rd birthday, when Alex Chappel had a gallery above a pub in Clerkenwell… It was called The Gallery Upstairs. G And there was this 1-day event, Douglasisms, where phrases D I’d often came up with, appeared on a cartoon based on me, by Piers Wardle (who sometimes called himself Lewis Draper), an artist who is no longer with us, having sadly died of a brain hemorrhage, rather unexpectedly several years ago. That’s an anagram of Lewis Draper, err, Piers Wardle, not a palindrome, a palindrome is symmetrical, like a Rorschach inkblot. That’s the difference between Andre Thomkins and Unica Zurn… and… or rather Andre Thomkins and Dom Sylvester Houedard versus Unica Zurn and Jean Dupuy. But the Douglasisms were based on things, you know, phrases I’d invented or readymade language that I’ve appropriated, in speech, communication or writing. And there was, and people were invited to come up with their own Douglasisms, by filling in speech bubbles on the cartoons. Decima, is, as I said, Alex Chappel and David C. West. Have, are a venture that’s existed, working in all manner of mediums, with many people, since the late 1990’s, often working with the media. And they’ve done some extremely fun events, shows and projects over the years. But that’s basically the origin of Douglasism. A reference to Douglasisms and Douglas Day, 23rd of January, 2005. Well, Douglas, what other projects have you done C under the name of Douglasism? Well, other… In connection with Kim Kim Gallery, there have D been, although this is my 1st ever visit to Korea, there have been exhibitions, most notably at the art fair last year, that was last year, 2012… (both in unison together) Yes, art:gwangju:12. D&G Examples of either photographs of me, myself, as well as D collaborating with people on moving image work, acting in other people’s videos, films and events, copies of publications I had contributed to, ephemera and other such material and works, by and about myself and other people I’ve been involved with and worked with in whatever capacity. But, and I believe, as well as through people who already knew about me, knew me or have worked with me who happened to visit Art Gwangju or Gwangju Art Fair, were also involved, and also the biennale. There was a lot of, I understand, a lot of public and artworld interest in it and me, and there were even people, I understand, who seriously doubted, questioned and didn’t believe, you know, they seemed

Interview with Douglas Park @ Corner Station

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to think that I didn’t exist… Is Douglas Park a real person? Yes, there were a few people who were thinking it was a work of artificial persona of Nayoung and me. How did you meet Nayoung and Gregory? We met in 2006, at A.I.R (Artists In Residence), in Antwerp, in Belgium, when we were all on the same art residency. It’s a very bizarre house, its look like a… Yes, an old house next to a mechanical bridge, where lockkeepers would have lived or worked! And it’s in the harbour. And it’s almost as though you’re in the middle-of-nowhere, but you’re nextdoor to the centre of the city, you can see battleships out of the kitchen window, very sort of dreamlike environment. I’d stayed there quite a lot before then, such as when they were still rebuilding the place, then I’ve stayed there and been involved in things since then. Then recently, there was a book published, that we and all the other ex survivors, casualties and victims of A.I.R contributed to, called AIR Traces. When did you 1st stay there? A.I.R? I stayed there for the 1st time when they were still rebuilding the place in 2001, when I was on another residency in Nantes, in France, which was through the Art School there. And we visited Antwerp. I think it was the 1st I ever properly visited Belgium. 2001. And I stayed there, myself and some other member of the Cycle Post Diplome Internationale, we were hosted in A.I.R, when they were still rebuilding it. Then I stayed there again several years later, when I was involved in an exhibition and various linked events at the MuHKA (Museum of Contemporary Art), in Antwerp. And then we met again, by accident, in the Hayward Gallery. Mostly online. Well, we… it was on the cards, that was last year. I knew we were going to meet in London, and I happened to be in London that day, and I knew about this private view of an artist, I forget, it was a Korean artist (Sung Hwan Kim), but I can’t remember their name, at the Hayward. And you tried to get me into the “Tanks Project” opening, at the Tate Modern, of which I am a friend, although that wouldn’t allow me to go in. Douglas is infamous, so they didn’t let him in! Somebody else, some real creep, just sneaked in, while we were trying to argue my way in. And there were all these other sort of people, who are fixtures of the artworld, waiting around outside, for their contacts to turn up. But then you turned up to an event I was involved with. Not far from where the Douglasisms event

Interview with Douglas Park @ Corner Station

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took place. In The Betsey Trotwood pub, which hosts a lot of events and meetings. I was speaking at Orlando Harrison’s The Poltroon — A Literary Salon, in the function rooms of the pub. And you filmed me… I photographed you. Photographed me, yes. And of course, we met up quite a few times when you were revisiting London event this year. And I introduced you to some people like Rut Blees Luxemburg and Keef Winter. Yes. So, I heard that you’ve been, for Douglasism in Korea, you’ve been producing a lot of artwork, collaborating with Korean artists, what kind of art? Well, most of that has been so far by contact or things that are going to happen. O.K. Actually, that started this morning, you know. Oh. Myself acting in the film. Moving things about in Gagarin. For A Douglas Park. A Park named after me! Yes. Who did you collaborate with? That’s Oksun Kim. U Sunok. U Sunok. And her… (asking Gregory Maass) Are they her students, from the university? Yes, yes, yes… How did you select the Korean artists for the Douglasism this year? It was a very difficult process. Not everybody succeeded. Yeah. Wh-what, sorry, what was the question again? How did you select the artists, for Douglasism? Select? How did you choose? Well, I suppose the people who are in Douglasism are people, I have worked with, or any, you know, the production and the outlet of my work was linked to them. So there’ll be like, in terms, of like, an actual exhibition, there’ll be copies of publications, editions, ephemera, invites, moving image. People that I have worked with or people that have photographed me in social situations. We choose people, mainly from Kim Kim Gallery, we choose the right space, we knew the right concept of the show and the right artist, and we make it fit together, that is our

Interview with Douglas Park @ Corner Station

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work, we try to concatenate, to enchain these three factors, and turn it into something creatively good. (interrupting) Yes. (continuing) And we have a certain choice of artists, and you might refer to very often as “Outsider Art”. But I don’t like… but I don’t like that “Outsider Art” usually makes me think of… I think, maybe more “maverick” is a better word. Because “Outsider Art”, makes think of… (laughing) “Insider”… If somebody was an “outsider” before… It doesn’t make much sense, so… What is “Outsider Art”? I don’t know… But sometimes it’s… It’s usually used to mean work by people… Even though a lot of them are quite self-conscious, and obviously there’ll be some awareness of visual material, high or low visual material. “Outsider Art” is often a word used to describe art by psychiat… people with mental health problems, people who may or may not be prophets, mediums, psychics or clairvoyants. It often ties in with some kind of cosmology, worldview or notions of “visions”. It’s even beyond what you might call “naïve” art, by people like Henri Rousseau, Grandma Moses or just self-taught artists. (laughing) Grandma Moses. Yes, yes. Or professional artists, who almost want to be “amateurs”, like Kurt Schwitters, David Smith or Billy Childish… But there’s another term which is much more fitting, I think… Maverick? Maverick. Or mannerist. Mannerist. Mannerist. Mannerist. Yes. Mannerism, was I thought some specific word to describe usually more eccentric art from bygone eras, before the “Modern Age”. Whether it was painting, literature, illustration, like fantastic art, but there’s still sort of much rationale or pragmatic production. So, lets enlarge, lets enlarge this mannerism, this historic, academic term into something more vital, and we could find ourselves in it somewhere. Finding ourselves in mannerism! (Laugh) Is that or is that not a good thing? The meaning of that. Does that mean, is that positive or negative? To find oneself (or one’s selves)

Interview with Douglas Park @ Corner Station

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in mannerism. Maybe, maybe not (Laugh) You seem to have such a good knowledge in art history. Yes. How… did you go to art school? Strange question. But how did you study, where did you study, I mean, where did you get all this… It was mostly… I mean, I have studied things, I mean, with or without taking exams, I have actually studied things properly, although mostly that was just sort of validation, you know, in the hope of employment or whatever, rather than learning anything. I suppose from an early age, I had a tendency to almost involuntarily, almost like some kind of recreational kind of academic research, rather escapist and nostalgic. An Aesthetic Anesthetic! I had this, I suppose, interest in art history. Probably because art is a specific subject or area, that can concern, relate to or include (at least supposedly, can include), any and everything. Supposedly, a universal and all-encompassing area. It’s like… I suppose that the nearest that I‘ve ever done to any serious research or findings, that is you know, serious art history, is my ongoing project or survey, By Accident. Which is trying to identify case-studies and specimens of works and artists, whereby, O.K., so circumstances can affect the production of artwork, artworks or events at any time or can even be caused by or because of artworks or events and producing them. But, you know, physical damage, interpersonal falling-out, legal or criminal-justice problems, issues with resources… but supposing the artist at least considered that change to be part of the same work, maybe changing the work because of it, acting upon it and including in the work, making other work about it or even if it lead to something completely new in their, you know, a complete change or redirection in their life or work. There has previously been 1 incarnation of By Accident, whereby a very simple, I think, it’s only alphabetical, its not categorical, because I just really didn’t have the time, version, almost like notes, towards what I’ve very much improved upon since then. It was published almost like a fanzine, for an exhibition (of-sorts) presented by a Belgian collective I very often work with, Sonia Dermience and Komplot, which was presented at Le Commissariat, a project and event space in Paris. Because myself and Sonia both knew this French curator who was

Interview with Douglas Park @ Corner Station

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involved with Le Commissariat at the time, Damien Airault. And both will come to Korea. And both will be visiting Korea soon, in the very near future, as part of and in connection with Douglasism. And there will be a remake and reincarnation of By Accident. A new and improved version of the publication, public lectures, and possibly a show (of-sorts) of some nature, even if it’s simply digital images, or 1 of these exhibitions where events and publications are some, most or all the sum-total of the exhibition. But that’s the sort of thing, that if it was ever done properly, you know, that would take a very major art museum to produce. I heard that you were in Jeju Island for a film-shoot. What kind of film? As soon as I’d arrived in Seoul last week, myself and Cel Crabeels from Belgium, as we already knew we were going to, went out to Jeju Island. A volcanic, geologically it´s volcanic, as a society its very interesting in that it’s a matriarchy, it is self-governing, and as well as agriculture, the main industry and economy of Jeju Island is national and international tourism, holidays, vacations and leisure activities. Cel Crabeels. It was perhaps more Cel Crabeels’ project or work than mine, but I was acting, perhaps very much a latterday version of Jacques Tati’s Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot. Doing public readings, for instance, at the waterfall and on a very rocky beach; autographing photographs of myself; and there were also photographs taken of me, by the photographer, who lives on Jeju Island, Oksun Kim. And we… 1 thing we intended to do was actually to film myself standing at the crater of the (I think) dormant volcano, reciting my work there, but it seemed we couldn’t get permission to do that. Cel Crabeels wanted to use, like, a smoke-machine. We did manage to find a gallery overlooking a cliff, just near the shore, not far from both the hotels we stayed at. Vuecrest Gallery. Who allowed us to use their courtyard, for a reading of mine, which Cel filmed, also photographs taken by Oksun Kim, who also photographed me on other occasions. We missed the recent typhoon. I hope that all is well for anybody on Jeju Island at this time, because I understand it hasn’t passed. There had been a recent storm or typhoon, just before myself and Cel arrived there. It did sometimes get very windy and very wet. But then I understand there’s a possibility the typhoon might return again. I’m very concerned and anxious for all those who may well be affected or involved in that. I heard this is your 1st time to Asia.

Interview with Douglas Park @ Corner Station

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I remember, when I was a kid, I had been to 1 or 2 airports, going to and from somewhere, that’s many decades ago. I have published in China, Japan and Thailand, and I’m on a website in Pakistan. But any possible visits… For instance, I nearly visited Osaka, in Japan, in connection, with the Belgian, another Belgian… Many of my serial collaborative partners-in-crime are Belgian! How does?… Vadim Vosters. Invited me to write a trilogy of literary prose, you might say, “stories”, instead of writing “essays”. But because of, I think, the cost of designing the catalog, meant there wasn’t the budget for me to visit Osaka, you know, and perform there. But as I said, I was in a survey of British art, Metropolis Rise, organized by Tony Gross and Jen Wu. I have known Tony Gross since the early 1990’s. And I’ve acted in his… 3 times, he’s STEREOtypecast me as a “Columbo” type personage in movies that he’s done. And there’ll be some of them in the Douglasism festival. Metropolis Rise (survey of British art) toured Beijing and Shanghai, when I was on the A.I.R residency in Antwerp, as well as this publication in Japan, a book project about certain issues in Thailand (although I did not go out there), and I have what I call an almost kinda normal piece of writing on ArtNow Pakistan, about the artist and lawyer, Iqbal Geoffrey, who is 1 of the case-studies in several categories of By Accident. Iqbal Geoffey. Is… he is another maverick. Mannerist! Yes. More than worth checking out. As an artist and as a social figure. So, this is your 1st visit to Korea? Yes, 1st time I’ve ever actually been here, yes. How do you see the Korean audience? I’m still trying to come to terms with Korea, get my head around it. What’s your idea of Korea? I attempted to familiarize myself with the customs. And I abandoned trying to acquire and use the language before I came here. Douglas can write his name in Korean! I have to copy it though. But it was somebody your end of things… (interrupting) I didn’t see that! (continuing) Who translated my name into Korean characters. So whats your expectation from Douglasism exhibition in Korea? I suppose, at the moment, a somber, giant, hovering, very ominous question mark. Not necessarily rightly or wrongly optimistic.

Interview with Douglas Park @ Corner Station

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(interrupting) What colour, what colour? (continuing) Not threatening… Black? Well, it’s not necessarily a specific colour. Somber. That’s a sort of tone, quality or condition of colour, material or light. Sickly green question mark… Maybe a non-colour, not necessarily a disagreeable or nasty colour. It’s not necessarily threatening or dangerous, just as its not necessarily optimistic or promising. It’s all, everything’s very uncertain… (interrupting) I’m taking care of the answers to this part. It’s extremely difficult for me to even say what has come to me so far, about visiting Korea or what I have tried to, before, you know, in the, over the time leading up to my visit and stay here, at least trying to familiarize myself with the earlier history, the present situation and the possible future of Korea. There will be more than 14 events and activities with Douglas. It’s very overwhelming. It’s all so very complex and very overwhelming for me, just for myself, never mind if I even attempt, try or strive to say something about it. I only know the number. There will be 7 different shows or venues. At least 14 activities. Counting this activity as 1 of them. Yes. Is that part of your concept to have this many of series of events and exhibitions? Actually, it’s not his concept. Its like the concept we made him… (interrupting) it’s Kim Kim’s! (continuing) So we didn’t give him a choice. It’s more like we presented him with the outcome of our doings… Yeah, so what’s the concept and theme? I am almost the subject matter or the fodder for this blank slate! But the theme is, we want, Douglas worked with so many people, he collaborated with so many people, over so many different subjects, and he has also his own solo-career, whatever that is. (interrupting) Yes. (continuing) His individual work. Myself either constantly disappearing into things or being just another presence (interrupting) So we want to bring all this together.

Interview with Douglas Park @ Corner Station

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(continuing) …or cog-in-the-wheel, or myself almost taking things over, which is mostly what my input or presence in things is. But you can’t bring everything together. It’s impossible. It’s impossible. But this will be just another collaboration, a bigger one, in the end, but maybe it will clarify, it will give a better perspective, on the, all over perspective on the work. What’s the earliest work you’ll be showing in the show in the festival? The earliest thing by me? I think it’s the cartoon movie we discovered lately. A cartoon movie? Yes. With all these… (interrupting) When was it made? A cartoon of you. And there’s a speech bubble… A movie? Yeah, it’s a short movie. And it’s maybe Lewis Draper who made it. We’re not sure yet. Was this from Decima? That would be 2005. That’s not early. A movie, that’s our, I think… That’s 2005. Not so long. So what’s the earliest we have? The earliest, do you mean in terms of actual outlet of work? Because especially, when say in the quartet of, I suppose stories I have in The Bastard / Magnetic Speech number of Dr. Clémentine Deliss’ Metronome, 2001. Those are basically unfinished business, leftover from my previous visual art days. Either visual versions, sorry, written, lingual, literary or prosaic versions of artwork I had done, designed, attempted or made or things I wasn’t able to find form for or wasn’t really able to get of the ground. What were your visual art days like, when was it? Mostly self-educated. I operated independently. I mean, people did know about me. There were some outlets. I had a tendency to abandon things. There were much, there were, my, although there’s some crossover and connection. Sometimes even titles of my works are slogans or names I had invented as a visual artist, like “Dream-Key Zodiac / Pandora’s Ark” or “E.S.P-ionage” — which is like a cross-between extra sensory perception or psychic powers and espionage or spying. They were much more deadpan, excuses to use language, whether it was things I had authored myself, found language, modified language, quotes. Well, it was excuses to make art. Even though I had no idea how to work

Interview with Douglas Park @ Corner Station

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with opportunities. I tended often just to run away from them or abandon them if things fell through or went wrong. Also, there were other factors in my life at the time. Although what I do now is far more flexible, I find myself far more prolific, not just exposed and known-about. It’s not always valid to say something is easy or beneficial, but it’s certainly possible, however sometimes difficult, challenging or problematic, for me to get things done or for opportunities to arise. (interrupting) This is a very… (continuing) And I’d always written anyway, with or without any outlet for it, whether it was relatively conventional essays, literary prose or written art, there is a lot of regurgitation and recycling in my work. A propos recycling. Can you recycle something for us, what kind of text will you read to us? It won’t actually be, you know, a typical Douglasparkworld landscape, meteorological weather, architecture, force-field, miracle or disaster. But very almost sort of identical formula or policy of how imagery is conjured up, then described and presented, then the use of words, language and phrasing. It’s a much more corporal and bodily text. I haven’t invented a strange title for it, its got a readymade phrase for a title, “Human Shield”. Previous outlet it’s had was in connection with Richard Crow, a veteran performance, sound, and installation artist. Yes, Institution of Rot. Institution of Rot. Which relates to, that’s the name of the private performance club, in a house he lived in from the early 1980’s, until he lost the place very recently, and there’s now ongoing events and sometimes publications, by people who were involved in that or he knew since then. “A Demised Premise”. Real or supposed archival material about the Institution of Rot. But “Human Shield”, the outlet for that was another concern of his called “Hospital Radio” or “(Towards an) Imaginary Hospital Radio”, for which there’s a track and an artist’s page by myself and Richard Crow, in a CD album and a book, SOUNDWORKS For Those Who Have Ears, produced by Julie Forrester, Niamh Lawlor, Danny McCarthy & Harry Moore, Art Trail, County Cork, Republic of Ireland, 2005. For the original recording on that album, Crow gave me a contact mike, to press onto my throat, when I recited “Human Shield”, generating a very disturbing quality, almost like a suppressed archival recording to the end-result. And I use contact mikes in that way, sometimes when myself and Crow have performed together, myself reciting “Human Shield”, and also

Interview with Douglas Park @ Corner Station

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usually medical related found texts that Crow has chosen, while Crow, Richard Crow generates sort of industrial or noise son-etlumière music, noise and light-show. Anyway, as for literary prose and written art story. That also came to mind, because of the connotations of plastic surgery or maxiofacial medicine of these very premises we are in at the moment. (laughing) Yeah, we are recording this interview in a plastic surgery. Under the plastic surgery! (laughing) In the operation theatre! I have actually, you could say, the longest writing I’ve ever done, was assisting somebody with their memoirs; advice, proofreading and sometimes other input, although it was very much their own work. The Ugandan maxiofacial surgeon, man of many parts and some might say, hero, Dr. Arnold Spero Bisase. His memoirs very much recount his, his family and his community’s lives. Born, around the time, I think, World War 2 started, then growing up with late colonial era and then independence Africa. He was schooled in Egypt, but just at the time in the 50’s when the revolution exploded. And he and others… What’s his nationality? He’s Ugandan. He’s from either the Buganda or Luganda region or the Luganda or Buganda tribe. I keep getting them mixed up. He studied in the United Kingdom. Before he finally came over in the late 1970’s, he had already visited, worked and studied in the U.K. and elsewhere several times. And he’s best known for, as well as others things he did, literally saving the face of a girl who was savaged by a wild hyena, and she’s now, if she’s still alive and still working, a very distinguished nurse, in Australia. (whispering softly) O.K. But Dr. Arnold Spero Bisase lives, I think, in Southall, which is a part of a suburb of West London, mostly inhabited by Indo-Asians. But as well as, sort of the lighter moments, as well as the sort of his memoirs are called Guardian Angel, some of the references to, you know, the outcomes of despots, tyrants and unrest in Uganda. Such as, 1st, the rather slimy and pathetic Apollo Milton Obote (who actually got back into power), and then the rather retarded and ludicrous seeming, but harmful and dangerous Idi Amin. It was quite an experience and an undertaking, being involved with that job. And I forget the name of the publisher, I haven’t got it with me in Korea, but I’ve only got 1 copy, of double volume memoirs, Guardian Angel, by Dr. Arnold Spero Bisase. It is some Indian publisher that actually published it. And please

Interview with Douglas Park @ Corner Station

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forgive me, I cannot remember the name of the publisher, but that is perhaps the most lengthy writing I’ve ever done, but it was very much supportive towards someone else, and myself not wishing to tread on their feet, out of my respect and reverence towards them. (whispering softly again) O.K. Thank you very much. So are there any more questions? Questions WE would like to ask? Or, yeah, shall we… (completing suggestion) Wrap it up? (agreeing) Wrap it up. Well, I remember nobody seems to know the origins or meanings in Korean of the family surname, Park. We will find that out for you. Yeah, after this interview. There’s like a… Is it a word in Korean, Park? Ah. As far as I remember, there’s like an… Because place and family names are often nothing like words. In the 1st century B.C., there was this, Korea was divided by 3 country-kingdoms, and 1 of the kingdoms, the king of 1 of these kingdoms, was named after Park, Park… I think so, and that’s the word of… It can be a forename, as well as a family surname?… No. It’s the family name of 1 of the kings. And at 1 time a third of Korea was… Divided by 3… Was Park, it was all Parkland. (Laugh) What about the United Kingdom… You should’ve had that exhibition! Douglasparkworld! Yeah, thank you for coming. Thank you very much for inviting me. We’ll send you the… And I have to thank Gregory and Nayoungim and Kim Kim and many countless others without which none of this would’ve been possible, you know, for making all this happen. You’re welcome.

Douglas Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s First Days in Korea

Douglas Park’s First Days in Korea

In 1653, a bookkeeper with the Dutch East India Company named Hendrick Hamel was shipwrecked on Jeju Island. During his time on the island he introduced European culture, as well as providing Europe with the first detailed report and accurate description of Korea. A notable project for Oksun Kim is a series of portraits, Hamel’s Boat, depicting visitors and migrants from outside, intertwined into Jeju Island’s natural surroundings. For the Douglasism Festival, Oksun Kim produced a series of portraits of Douglas Park on Jeju Island. She is based and active in Jeju Island and Seoul. Cel Crabeels incorporated Oksun Kim´s photoshooting sessions into Mr. Park D., the documentary about Douglas Park.

Jeju Island 5 – 8th Octorber, 2013 Artist: Oksun Kim, Cel Crabeels

Douglas Park’s First Days in Korea

Douglas Park’s Photoshoot Session

Your ground park (A Douglas Park by U Sunok)

U Sunok created an installation about Douglas Park, using Onground Gallery and Gagarin used bookstore’s spaces. Gagarin and Onground Gallery are two spaces, interjoined by a back door. For the exhibition, the content of Gagarin was transferred into the Onground Gallery, leaving the Gagarin shelves empty, whilst turning Onground Gallery into a bookstore. When deciding on a title for the work, U Sunok used the surname “Park”, not to describe a person, but a recreational space provided for recreational use, in the form of a situation or set of circumstances. Through this in situ work, Onground Gallery (already an unorthodox architectural space), was transformed to function as a store, gradually leaving the purpose of Gagarin’s used bookstore open to question. U Sunok lives and works in Seoul.

Gagarin + onground (122-11, Changseong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul) 15th October – 12th November, 2013 Artist: U Sunok (KR)

Your ground park (A Douglas Park by U Sunok)

Speech is Matter

(Video Lecture & Performance)

Speech is Matter is Clemens Krümmel’s video lecture and performance, about the art of Douglas Park. Clemens Krümmel comments on the performative recital in Douglas Park’s work, placing it in context with Robert Morris’ minimalism. Clemens Krümmel expresses masterfully how all creativity passes through immateriality. Clemens Krümmel is an author of texts on cultural studies, curator, and translator based in Berlin. He co-edited and published the art magazine Texte zur Kunst, Berlin. With Alexander Roob, He joint-founded the Melton Prior Institut for reportage drawing & printing culture, Düsseldorf.

Ilmin Museum of Art (139, Sejong-ro, Jongro-gu, Seoul) 15th October, 2013 Lecturer: Clemens Krümmel (DE)

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Speech is Matter I am an art historian, writer, translator — and sometimes I also work as a curator. I am speaking to you from Berlin in Germany. Before I start my short presentation, I first want to thank Gregory Maass and Nayoungim for inviting me to talk about the subject, the object of your conference. Mr. Douglas Park. I apologize for not being able to be present with you out there in Seoul — health reasons have prevented me from flying there this time. But I already had the opportunity to give a video presentation in Seoul on one other occasion, yet — let me tell you that I am still looking for a good way to work with this medium. So please bear with me as I stumble along the path I have set for myself. My talk has the title “Speech's Matter”. When Greg and Nayoung drew my attention to the works of Douglas Park, whom I have until today never met in person, I was immediately hooked. To say that I have always been interested in “immaterial” art productions would be misleading, because everything that matters needs at least temporarily a material support.

Douglas Park, who works not only with texts (in a degree of intensity that you could call him a writer) but mostly and especially with words, first seemed to me to be an adherent of that uncontainable craze

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for what many people in the art field nowadays like to call “performance lectures”. Indeed, like many of the artists who work in that self-moulded interstitial space between artistic speech and academic speech, Park is highly conscious of his ancestors. But unlike many, he does not bob up and down like a nervous pimp trying to correctly spell out his triad background to some youngsters who are coming on to him, he does not merely indulge in the Old Name Game, when he writes about older and contemporary artists, it always remains very clear that he is acting out an investigative impulse rather than a mimetic one. Even if his approach seems erratic and unsystematic at times, even if he makes up a maze of uncheckable factoid connections between artists, ideas and practices, his historical consciousness is wide awake. Sometimes, some significant times, it sees a takeover from the world of systems and structure, the world of language, but not only in a traditional poetic sense, but in the sense of signal-to-noise, of the semiotic adventures of speech. “Spoken word”, a genre that has haunted the West since the 1980s, appears only half appropriate as a description of what goes on in Douglas Park's speech-based, performative works. Whoever has read one of his paratactic texts, has watched him battle his acoustic environment in amplified speech, has listened to words being transported into and out of his mouth moment after moment when he reads one of his texts, will have noticed that he or she was not witnessing a “reading”. Instead, Park's articulate attitude encourages us to focus on single elements of words, on vowels, syllables, words, composites, which only in one portion of his work accumulate to sentences and paragraphs. It seems banal to say that modernism has since its beginning paired the scrutiny of reason with a heavy grudge against the use of language as a power tool. In Park's works, language is under a general suspicion. When it comes to trusting into language, count him out. The paratactic approach that he uses when he reads out, to not only expand into the notional and phatic spaces that speech offers, but also to line up words, the sound, their facture, their texture, like pearls on a shaky string — in TIME. I claim that it is a meaningful component of his mastery to make words sound like something extremely equivocal and even fishy. It always remains a speaking act, not in an emphatic sense (in which articulate speech always only appears as a tool of empowerment of a subject), but rather in the sense of speech as a tool of caution. By taking out, or leaving out, most syntagmatic grammatical elements that usually regulate the economy of power in spoken and written language, especially in Western languages, by avoiding larger sentence and sub-sentence constructions, he carves out of language what really makes it tick, what really gives it its power over people: the incredible situational power of the continuously moving and elusive present, the ungraspable present tense of time-space. I think

Speech is Matter

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musicologists first seriously presented the common observation that when we hear, when we listen, when we perceive what has always been explained to us as “external” sensory “data”, we are uneasily sitting on an almost inconceivably small plateau that is floating between clouds of forgetfulness. Our focussed attention is an arrière-garde, not an avantgarde. It not particularly elegantly staggers behind what it perceives, it strives to memorize certain parts, despairing at the challenge of a culture fraudulently built on “memory” and “history”, arranging itself with ghosts and spectres. In his groundbreaking essay “Obliscence — Theories of Forgetting and the Problem of Matter” (1946), memory researcher Geoffrey Sonnabend wrote: “We, amnesiacs all, condemned to live in an eternally fleeting present, have created the most elaborate of human constructions, memory, in order buffer ourselves against the intolerable knowledge of the irreversible passage of time and the irretrievability of its moments and events.”

Sonnabend believed that long term or distant memory was illusion, but similarly he questioned short term or immediate memory. On a number of occasions, Sonnabend wrote “there is only experience and its decay”. By which he meant to suggest that what we typically call short term memory is, in fact, our experiencing the decay of an experience. In light of such theses that have become quite popular in memory research, Douglas Park’s reading-out of long rows, of successions of formulaic expressions from what some scientists were audacious enough to call “normal language” in the last century, have more to offer than a lugubrious parade of notions acquired, perceived and processed. By his seemingly infallible choice of “power words”, bureaucratic words

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that could resound from some British postwar educational flick on social hygiene, by his speculative verbal constructions, and especially by their painstakingly concentrated arrangement in sounding sequences, we are able to experience fundamental properties of language and communication, and what's more, we feel language's “lie of truth” at every turn that his vocal chords, his tongue, his lips, his teeth, his resounding and twitching body tells us. I think that is something. It is something that matters to me. But does it matter? How does it matter? I feel we cannot survive without the knowledge that Douglas Park turns our attention to (even if he does not really “convey” it or “explain” it). We also cannot survive with it, maybe not even live with it, as long as we remain — as he does in such an exemplary fashion — fixated on the continuously broken promise of language, the perceivable disappearance of sense as he speaks, as we speak, as it were. To me, his speech and his speaking matter inasmuch as it is profoundly excited, as it is agitated beyond the rhetorical calculation of effects. Douglas Park audible (and visibly) subjects himself to the bitter law of deceit — that is not everything of language, but that is always present in it. Moreover, Park's voice is not only phatic or phonic, it is also plastic. No, there is no “Man inside his Mouth”, but inside him, there is a curious appreciation of the faucal space, we are not just led to believe that in some weird paragone he is joining together speech and sculpture. With the resonant matter that is his body, by chiseling away vibrant air inside his mouth, by reacting within the experiential radius that we tend to screen out — omnipresent inexorable soundworld — the silence as freedom from one's intentions that John Cage keeps striking us over the head with, Park leaves us with a refreshed sense of doubt. that may only last for seconds, but that resonates also in not-so-conscious portions of our minds and bodies, their matter. I have read Douglas Park's texts like the letter of a promising new acquaintance in the field of experimental artistic practices. I want to send Douglas an answer, not knowing if my reading of his works is not a failure. When I was staying in Seoul for some months in 2009, I brought a buzzing pile of difficult text with me, planning to translate them into German. They were texts by one of the few remaining original proponents of Minimal Art, Robert Morris — who was and still is really much more than that. Which is perhaps the reason why also Douglas Park has referenced him extensively. I warmly recommend to re-read Morris's writings today. I cannot begin to explain how meaningful I think especially his poetological remarks on the “phenomenology of making” appear to me. Here, as a kind of answer to the gift of Douglas Park's voice, I only want to present you one small text that Morris has written in 1995. Morris has always doubled as an artist AND art historian, so in

Speech is Matter

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1995, we find him writing an associatively. paratactical text on one of his most influential works from the 1960, STEAM (1967). “Steam” has served Morris as much as an artwork, as a sculpture, as it was a far-reaching metaphorical device he re-interprets verbally in the lines I have decided to read out in a recorded video performance piece called “Thinking like a stone”. The text he wrote is a fragmentary, but lively piece of applied cultural history trying to spell out what no-one would ever expect a “minimal” artist to put into words. Disappointingly for many, minimal artworks were as much expected to “speak for themselves” as the eruptions of any too-late “abstract expressionist” working in your neighborhood. My interest in Morris is translated here into the rhetorical device of an artificial speech impediment. Like the antique philosopher and rhetor Demosthenes, who was born a stutterer, wanted to become the greatest orator of his time, and thus tried to raise his voice against the

crushing noise of the waves on the beach near his village to exercise his abilities, I want to pick up some matter, something material — before i speak. I worship the silence that sings like a bird, I long for the Moon as it looks from the Earth. I need some material counterpart because every body speaks lightly. Demosthenes, after practicing to outshout the waves, picked up pebbles from the beach and literally “spoke through them”. I leave you with some minutes of matter I have gleaned from the ground as much as from Robert Morris. I want to thank Douglas Park for allowing me to see this text in an entirely new way. I'm not sure if this gets through to you, but I thank you anyway. Clemens Krümmel

Death in the Afternoon

(Exhibition)

This multi-media installation orginated from an introduction, contact and meeting of Oan Kim and Douglas Park in London in 2013. The work is loosely based on Douglas Park’s A nighon compulsory cliché, and includes original stills and moving image, accompanied by an original score (composed and performed by Oan Kim) and overdubbed with his own voice reciting Douglas Park’s text. “A nigh-on compulsory cliché, 1st recited at An Afternoon of Porn, event, Decima Gallery, London, 2009. Referencing a real-life tragedy, as well as real or possible public and media reactions it. While obviously tasteless and offensive, also a satire, as well as more serious critique exploring often hypocritical multiple standards and exploitative usage as regards tragic events and circumstances, hence otherwise contrasting mix and clash of sensational and high-ground language.” (Douglas Park) Oan Kim’s photographic and moving image works often feature abandoned spaces and people in unusual settings. The imagery is accentuated by some form of ambivalent narration, which can form an unexpected experience. Oan Kim co-founded the MYOP agency of independent photographers.

Amado Art Space (683-31, Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul) 16th October – 1st November, 2013 Artist: Oan Kim (FR)

Death in the Afternoon

(Exhibition)

A nigh-on compulsory cliché A nigh-on compulsory cliché about any important event is “everybody

can remember where they were and what they were doing when it happened”. Unfortunately, this isn’t always so. All too often, tragedies get awarded back-seat status, despite their direct impacts on all of our lives and everything else. The following has to be or definitely is the greatest such example. One fine day (around 4:30 pm, on February 26th 1994 to be exact) seemed like just another day and business as usual for the New City Cinema of Saint John Street in London. O.K., so this was no ordinary cinema, but an adult, sex or porn flea-pit; as we all know and can’t deny (but frequently take for granted) such establishments are the lifeforce and blood of society and humanity, the new rock n roll and the umpteenth emergency service. However, any norm is bound to have exceptions and not always run according to plan or need as expected.

Everything changed forever never to be the same again with the advent of a certain David Lauwers (34 at the time, at least partly of Dutch descent and nationality, a tailor’s pattern-cutter by trade and occupation, of no fixed abode and with severe hearing-impediments — which might’ve been at least partly behind him being known as “deaf Dave” — unless that was a coincidence and there were other reasons). As may be not uncommon, this already “boozed up” (as the prosecution later said), David Lauwers disagreed over the entrance-cost or the fact payment was required (a £7 tariff in 1994 money), claimed he’d already paid earlier, argued with those on the door, as was later admitted, got headbutted by doorman, Alfred Parsons and somewhat got slightly refused admission a bit. Sadly, this wasn’t the end of it. David Lauwers didn’t give up that easily, being made of sterner stuff. Evidently, David Lauwers resented the price or even the sheer fact cash had to handed over and also fact he was turned away. What little is known about this David Lauwers and what went through his mind that

Death in the Afternoon

(Exhibition)

fateful day, 1 thing is for certain: he didn’t take to or shrug off rejection lightly and could well have been the sort to bear a grudge. Alongside what turned out to be sheer folly on the part of the New City Cinema — a deadly combination and a marriage made in hell, just waiting to happen. It’s highly likely that David Lauwers could well have been what experts would diagnose as sub-clinically or even terminally fed-up, possibly in a tertiary or terminal phases of a bad mood. Possibly even then, plots were hatching themselves. He can’t have got too far before coming across a convenient petrol station. Once there, he bought a tin of fuel (unless he stole it — because he didn’t seem prepared or able to pay for the entrance-cost at the New City Cinema). It’s unrecorded whether anything seemed memorable or amiss to the staff wherever that was.

Once fully equipped, David Lauwers returned to the New City Cinema. Perhaps after some disturbance or even confrontation, unless he chose his riposte to be an unexpected sweet surprise sprung onto the unsuspecting unawares — he well and truly fired, took aim and retired — or rather scarpered — unless he stayed around to gloat and cheer and remind his targets of their plight. Many hands on deck went down. Still more came to grief. A few escaped — mostly scoring injuries. Apparently, 1 sucked clean air through a cracked wall (not a gloryhole). The Fire Brigade (unless it was the Royal National Lifeboat Association or Meals-On-Wheels or something) must’ve taken the job on for a laugh, found it difficult or even impossible to keep straight faces and not fall around and piss themselves. They later got medals for bravery though, so it wasn’t all in vain or only for fun. The names of those who fell for us on black whateversday appeared on teletext. Despite that being tailor-made for the cast or credits on a war memorial monument, there’s still no permanent reminder in their memory and honour. An obelisk with balls at the base would be ideal. Epitaphs like: “Lest We Forget”, “What A Way To Go” and “Better Luck Next Time” seem in order. Not long after his faux-pas, David Lauwers visited an unnamed

Death in the Afternoon

(Exhibition)

friend, where upon seeing news footage about his handiwork, remarked: “Christ, I never knew it was as bad as that. I could be in for a murder charge here”. Realising he’d hit the jackpot and struck lucky and wanted to claim his prise, David Lauwers reported to some police station. When charged and sentenced right up the Old Bailey, for reasons of “understanding” (whatever that means in legal terms), David Lauwers got some discount-tariff of only 3 deaths, not the full 11. The prosecutor was a certain, John Nutting. Sign-lingo infested what were otherwise “hearings”. Another odd thing was the court-case trial happened over a year after black whateversday. David Lauwers went down for life and doesn’t seem to have been heard of since — unless I’ve lost the bet there on that one. Even at the time the event went dismissed, apart from exchanges like: “so you / I / we got out o.k.”, “that’s the last time anybody dares turn you / me / us away”, “serves them right” and “that should teach them” etc. For all I know, there were no services, questions in parliament, speeches, 1 minute’s silence or anything like that. Apparently, the New City Cinema reopened at the same place or nearby, under the same or another name. No other known episodes seem associated with it. None of those customary headlines that get regurgitated and dusted-off for such occasions neither. “How Did It Happen?”, “A Community Scarred And Torn Apart”, “Could This Spell The End Of Our Love-Affair With The Sex-Cinema?”, then later “1 Year On: Could It Happen Again? / Lessons That Just Haven’t Been Learned?”. Bit too late for any of that now though. As well as that war memorial monument idea, what would be nice are things like a starstudded action-packed feature flick (a la the ‘Towering Inferno’, ‘The Poisidon Adventure’, ‘The Titanic’ etc) and a hit-musical set to run and run. However, we should never rule out the possibility of conspiracies, cover-ups and media-blackouts. Was David Lauwers set up and framed and knowing more than he let on? Notice how little there is online and in print about it. Coincidence? Whatever, as far as I’m concerned this ere file should never be closed — and I promise never to rest or give up until the many can finally say: “justice at last!” Douglas Park

By Accident I

(Performance)

This Douglas Park ongoing research, project and survey, is about “fate striking work at any stage of production, exposure or whenever, only for drastically affected outcome to be kept by the authors, deliberately addressed and appearing as part of their output — as well as actually generating other work.” (Douglas Park) Measuring densities and historical trends, Douglas Park presents chance as an instrument in the creation of art works, often less well known to the greater public. During the festival two remakes of By Accident were staged. For the occasion, a English-Korean By Accident book was published by Kim Kim Gallery.

Ilmin Museum of Art (Sejong-ro, Jongro-gu, Seoul) 18th October, 2013 Participants: Douglas Park (UK), Damien Airault (FR), Young June Lee (KR)

By Accident I

(Performance)

Black Sheep Lecture # 53

(Lecture after the performance of By Accident)

After the performance of By Accident, a Black Sheep lecture with Douglas Park, Sonia Dermience, Damien Airault and Gregory Maass took place, discussing By Accident and Douglasism. Sonia Dermience and Damien Airault were both curators of By Accident at Le commissariat, Paris in 2009. The Black Sheep lecture series deals with a variety of genres and practices in contemporary art, allowing the public an opportunity to learn more about the individual and educational background of the art professional, organized by german artist Dirk Fleischmann since 2009 in Korea.

Ilmin Museum of Art (139, Sejong-ro, Jongro-gu, Seoul) 18th October, 2013 Participants: Douglas Park (UK), Damien Airault (FR), Sonia Dermience (BE), Gregory Maass (DE), Dirk Fleischmann (DE)

Black Sheep Lecture # 53

(Lecture after the performance of By Accident)

Douglasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; six-parks

Douglas’ six-parks

(Exhibition)

The artist Kurt Ryslavy invited work for the Douglasism Festival. Entitled Douglas’ six-parks, shown in an empty 1970’s office, in Seoul’s city centre. The installation consisted of 3 main elements. A poster with Douglas Park’s face superimposed onto the torso of a muscular body builder. Six empty Austrian wine bottles on-view inside a display fridge. A large paper cutout of a randomly chosen public Seoul park extracted from a map and placed on the floor. Kurt Ryslavy is another of Douglas Park’s collaborators. Conceptual artist, painter, poet and (Austrian) wine dealer (with both lives intertWINEd into WINE and the very same — Kippenthaers / Broodberger), as well as a collector of art, furniture and rare objects. Kurt Ryslavy has been based and active in Brussels.

Eulji Building Annex (302-1, Eulji-ro 3-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul) 18th October – 12th November, 2013 Artist: Kurt Ryslavy (A)

Douglas’ six-parks

(Exhibition)

By Accident II

Mr. Park D. Film Presentation

The screening of a work-in-progress version of Mr. Park D. Towards the end of the presentation, Cel Crabeels remotely triggered a hidden fog machine, same as appears in Mr. Park D.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s final scene, perplexing the audience, in an atmosphere of signifier and signified, seemingly blended together. Mr. Park D. is a real-life documentary which includes staged episodes, mostly enacted and shot in Seoul and Jeju Island, during the 2013 Korean visit and Douglasism festival. Mr. Park D. is directed by Cel Crabeels. The film stars Douglas Park as himself, with Cel Crabeels co-starring as the director. The protagonists, unafraid of anything, whether it be struggle or hardship, adventure and strong drink, make their first ever visit to this pleasant holiday island. At first planned as a holiday movie of Douglas Park, Mr. Park D. takes place before and during the Douglasism Festival; where the plot soon reveals an intimate and moving portrait of Douglas Park. Memorable scenes are Douglas Park reciting his texts as a living sculpture at tourist spots, later to crashing waves in far less inviting circumstances and culminating with a delirious rant in accommodations. Cel Crabeels is an artist and filmmaker living and working in Antwerp.

Takeout Drawing Itaewon (637, Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul) 19th October, 2013 Artist: Cel Crabeels (BE)

Mr. Park D. Film Presentation

Film Noir Machine

(Concert & Video Performance)

For his exhibition, Death in the Afternoon, Oan Kim gave a solo-concert and video performance. The soirĂŠe also included Douglas Park reciting A nigh-on compulsory clichĂŠ. Oan Kim studied visual arts and music composition. He is a photographer and video artist and also pursues a musical career, the lead singer and songwriter of Indie rock groups Film Noir and Chinese Army. He is based in Paris.

Amado Art Space (683-31, Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul) 19th October, 2013 Artist: Oan Kim (FR)

Film Noir Machine

(Concert & Video Performance)

Douglas Park Greatest Hits Audio Album & Year Launch

Photo by Monika K. Adler, 2012

The year 2013 marked the 30th anniversary of Douglas Park’s artistic career. To celebrate this event, Douglas Park’s Londonbased colleagues, Rut Blees Luxemburg and Keef Winter, worked with Tom Fox to produce a recording of Douglas Park reciting his 10 most effective texts. The Audio Album launch was shared with that of launch of Year 2013, which includes input by more than 80 contributors, among them Kim Kim Gallery and Douglas Park. Year is an annual almanach, produced by the Komplot collective, based in Brussels, but internationally active.

Sleeve Notes: 1

Advance scripted progress-report findings (in edgeways) grand-total score results (pending awaited outcome) 2 Human Shield 3 Nurseryworld 4 Micro-Colonial-Drift / Growth-Area (via the ScenicRoute) 5 Delphic-Oracle Self-Service Help-Desk Chat-Line CallCentre 6 Misagreement 7 Predatory Benevolence + Protective Imprisonment = Clam Nest Trap Shield Coffin Sanctuary 8 Disquiet Tectonica 9 Exfluence 10 Mudbath Rainbow / Spectrum Debris

Gagarin + Onground (122-11, Changseong-dong, Jongo-gu, Seoul) 22th October, 2013 Participants: Douglas Park (UK), Damien Airault (FR), Sonia Dermience (BE)

Douglas Park Greatest Hits Audio Album & Year Launch

Sleeve Note 1

Advance scripted progress-report findings (in edgeways) grand-total score results (pending awaited outcome) Mirror and window: surviving, intact (never better, no need for recovery — in fact, improving). Reflection and vista: damaged, broken (complete write-off job — lost cause). Extreme hardship and difficulty (especially due to absent, surplus and faulty cardinal-points, map-reading and navigation) leads to finding long since lost empty holes, which went missing, then hid and lurked in offshore vaults and crypts. Activation of case-study specimen databank entry archive requires the most thorough and severe, but careful regime of deep burial alive, cremation, painting over, bleaching out, washing away, tearing to shreds (held and kept very far apart) and screwing down the lid; so resource is dug up, read, transcribed and got ready for recital aloud and public broadcast, allowing scope for true potential attainment. Reunited, cast and support-crew (the many — or even countless, without whom…), take to the stage, join hands, bowing before their captive audience and fan-base, met with cheering applause and standing ovation; although on no account whatsoever should this be mistaken as some kind of ending (happy or otherwise) or logical conclusion. Out of sheer overuse and fatigue, secretive code and heavy silence gives up, grinding to abrupt halt, then falters, until shattered (and irreparably so at that; never to mend or heal again); mystery and unknown questions answer and explain themselves (without aid or hindrance from spokespersons or interpreters). Deceptively modest gesture turns out to be cliff-hanger terminus to climax, finale and sequel; one of many other gateways towards next stage of grand conclusion. Every other detachable component and in-built fixture isn’t always there the same time as the rest, because they take turns to be around any one place, most are off elsewhere, only a few are present, perceived or accessible together — and even then only fleetingly. Adverse conditions (a perennial liability) apply and are enforced all along interwoven meandering trails. Protective blinkers cover each signal. Offset transfers left behind are easily erased and worn off too soon. Coincidental lookalikes and namesakes and planted decoys and impostors further add to confusion. Douglas Park, 2005

Douglas Park Greatest Hits Audio Album & Year Launch

Sleeve Note 2

Human Shield Recapitation therapy operations require 3 components: A.) exo-skull visor; then, B.) slotted insertion underlay mask implant; and, C.) cavity insulation mummifying bandages — ordered according to a completely different sequence from predecessors taken over from by exo-skull visor, slotted insertion underlay mask implant and cavity insulation mummifying bandages, the winning formulæ. Between exo-skull visor and slotted insertion underlay mask implant is where cavity insulation mummifying bandages grow, performing emergency lifesaving miraclecure cosmetic plastic surgery facelift treatment and healing of injury and symptom; poised on standby for attendance to damage repair and mistake correction tasks on exo-skull visor and slotted insertion underlay mask implant, whom are gratefully indebted to cavity insulation mummifying bandages for these services rendered. When gift-wrapping removal time moment of truth is due, exo-skull visor, slotted insertion underlay mask implant and cavity insulation mummifying bandages come off, break up, flake, crumble, melt, dissolve and evaporate away, each taking the others with them as they go, leaving no trace behind of exoskull visor, slotted insertion underlay mask implant and cavity insulation mummifying bandages, destroying the evidence. Acupuncture, bloodletting, fuel refills and injected transfusion encourage sloughed scales and flayed hide, malted and shed by exo-skull visor, slotted insertion underlay mask implant and cavity insulation mummifying bandages to mingle together and breed replacement superior strain of exo-skull visor, slotted insertion underlay mask implant and cavity insulation mummifying bandages, giving birth to new and improved selves of their former shadows. Composite of exo-skull visor, slotted insertion underlay mask implant and cavity insulation mummifying bandages consume and feed each other — and everything that comes their way; fusion, uniting exo-skull visor, slotted insertion underlay mask implant and cavity insulation mummifying bandages into one whole, linking up to different, separate entities they intercept and encounter. Douglas Park, 2005

Douglas Park Greatest Hits Audio Album & Year Launch

Sleeve Note 3

100

Douglas Park Greatest Hits Audio Album & Year Launch

Sleeve Note 4

101

Nurseryworld

Micro-Colonial-Drift / Growth-Area (via the Scenic-Route)

Somewhere, way beyond the furthermost surviving and rejected leftovers from the recently departed past, it is known full well and often played upon (but kept top-secret, never discussed openly) that there lie remnants of a long since lost pre-era, been and gone even before then, occurring in a non-space, apart from all others, by now just about completely forgotten, only almost barely remembered — and yet learnt off by heart, forever thought of and felt for, no matter how faraway. Despite justified preferability and every single universal desire, dream, urge, hope and wish being really always about them — they are not necessarily innocent, safe and enjoyable by any means; although the pragmatic and functional desperate need to escape and abandon this side and end of things, in favour of reaping benefits and improvement offered elsewhere, far outweighs any mere threat or real risk. However, enforced terms of STRICTLY NO THOROUGHFARE / ALL ENTRY FORBIDDEN / OUT OF BOUNDS / OFF LIMITS / KEEP OUT apply inflexibly throughout — as well as it being nearly impossible or at least severely difficult to find and return to this earliest time and distant place again, whether for short-term visits or a permanent one-way-trip; anyway, such expeditions themselves are fraught with treacherous conditions, problematic setbacks and threatening dangers, plus, an outcome of empty-handed disappointment is a sure likelihood, if nothing worse, rather than anything else more adverse happening. When and wherever they actually went to and are hidden, banished into exile, how and if that can ever be reached, the seductive haunting attraction and irresistible lure is infectious and addictive; all those who get involuntarily drawn, held and caught by the grip and clutches of this imprisoning embrace, fall into and stay put under unbreakable and reversal-proof charmed curse magical spell damnation enchantment. Constantly, optimistic hope and belief in promises of closeness to hand, waiting around the next corner, any moment now — prove to be near miss after near miss. Nonetheless, reliable evidence suggests everything there has stayed the same, well preserved, without change, as they were left — but, also, probable certainty that upon discovery and arrival, instead of the customary warm and generous welcome-back and homecoming reception expected, entry and membership is subject to selective and conditional acceptance policies, still, not without loopholes, of course…

Freshly sprung up, polite and welcome interruptions to weary, deceased and crumbling, fag ash and xerox grey, dustbowl and wreckage inland wastescapes; many a silver flecked, lapis lazuli amethyst sapphire cobalt Delft chinaware blue ocean, sparkles dazzlingly, despite secret hiding (complete with full working order, hot and cold running salination, waves, current and tide supply). Hence, inland ocean. Differing to usual seas, not solely in scale or habitat, every inland ocean being nebulous, amoebic — and of no fixed abode. Bulging from each inland ocean, swell verdant emerald olive moss mint lime green acorn clumps, secured to rust textured fawn brown island foundations — and light ochre shore surrounds. Therefore, acorn island. Unlike typical, larger earthmasses, any acorn island will auto assemble, dismantle, intersperse, navigate — and anchor roots. Whether feral inland ocean lidos and mutant acorn island crops are only a recent discovery or actual evolution or stray migrant or captivity escapee or naturalised exodus or abandoned fly tipping or deliberate introduction or even invention, still remains unknown. As for geography, climate and eco-systems: inland ocean harsh arctic polar snow-storm sleet hail blizzard frost ice hazard conditions and skating / hockey rink — protect exotic coral reefs; whereas acorn island desert terrain’s tropical rainforest jungles — lead to towering alpine peak ski slopes. And zoology? Irrigatory inland ocean reservoirs and botanical park acorn island plantations provide Noah’s ark nature sanctuary for all species and genera attracted. Ongoing mutual dependency support exchange relays between iridescent inland ocean water garden, bonsai weed acorn island rockery, lilliput menagerie — and now rejuvenating, convalescent host, absorbing their shared fuel. If inland ocean minefields spread, breeding a single acorn island apiece, epidemics of gutter aquarium inland ocean overspills and high-rise acorn island farms, promise and threaten to drown, outgrow, halt and consume all in their paths — catapulting supernova rainbow bridges to pole vault off from one inland ocean and acorn island diving board and then on to the next inland ocean and acorn island trampoline; or effervescing inland ocean wells might very easily leak, dehydrate, sink straight through plughole, right down drain, leave blossoming acorn island beauty spots high, dry, beyond repair, withering away, shrivelled up, in disintegration — exposing flora and fauna against elements to fend for themselves. But phoenix diasporas of vaporised inland ocean floret spray, alongside soluble acorn island spore and pollen fall-out, always carry, sprinkle, sow, plant, settle and flourish, once again, elsewhere…

Douglas Park, 2003

Douglas Park, 2001

Douglas Park Greatest Hits Audio Album & Year Launch

Sleeve Note 5

102

Douglas Park Greatest Hits Audio Album & Year Launch

Sleeve Note 6

103

Delphic-Oracle Self-Service Help-Desk Chat-Line Call-Centre

Misagreement

Cross-eyed squinting earth-moving equipment misses intended movingtargets on passing assembly-line. Instead, die-cutting straight from out of the very conveyor-belt. Then, lathe-turning, fitting, slotting and steering confetti motif toys into shape and place. Outcome, becoming automated building-block patchwork marquetry. Every single erasure, correction, experiment, improvement, addition and change, inflicted and occurring, during preparatory development and production era comes out, shown up, with a vengeance, in final end-result. Incognito and camouflaged misregistration, double-exposure, superimposing and overlap cause indistinct ambiguous uncertainty. Especially amongst their own number, even more than when with others, everybody, everything and everywhere gets far too easily mixedup, confused and mistaken; so that from any one to the next, there’s no difference between any one of them, or any way to distinguish any one from another. Pure and raw tricks-of-the-light and sleight-of-hand enjoy playtime and fooling around with jigsaw puzzle maps. However, extreme caution is observed, exercised and enforced, because it only takes one false move, some removal away or extra contribution too many — and they all fall apart and collapse down. Flea-circus of monopoly-game lucky-charm trinkets tiptœ, leapfrog and hopscotch, seek out, land upon and press whatever touchsensitive push-button flick-switch steppingstones lie buried, hidden and lost. That’s somewhere more or less underneath cobbled streets paving riverbed and deep-sea forest-floor. Once controls found, struck and activated, mass detonation set off. Mobile weathervane and windmill carousels of road-signs set and pose problems, make enquiries, ask vague questions and offer cryptic-clues. Arrows, indirectly point to ultimate whereabouts and decoding of encrypted solutions and answers. Morse-code and semaphore shadowgraphy spell out deaf-and-dumb hand-signal secretmessage Braille small-print notation-scores. Partial advice and assistance dispensed towards data-entry coupon-filling.

Overpopulation of maps outnumber and exceed places and routes depicted. Compulsory decommissioning and mass hand-in surrender amnesty enforced. Contraband rolled, folding, split, cut, broken and torn up; raw loads fed inside every shredder exit other side somewhat revised; ribbons and strips get ground and crushed down to powder; any stubborn microbe snowflake confetti survivors remaining leftover become pulped, molten, leaking; outpour spills unleashed deluge flood; discharge eruption spreads far, deep, wide, rising, invincible. Supervisory sun, moon and star light rays and beams strain, blow and push outwardly, searching, focused. Flick-switch and harp and lyre cord struck and played being megalithic lead and granite rigging, sails, flag and trailing streamers. These dependents cling onto and feed off totemic widow-maker telegraph pole; mast, driven and bolted securely through seaworthy and watertight life-raft; basket and carpet, nest-built and woven using only butterfly wings, shed petals, sloughed scales, moulted feathers and autumn leaves; platform, resting and balanced on buoyant anvil float. Propellers, screws, paddlewheels, turbine-jets, oars and rudders frantically stir, whisk, churn, shake, unsettle and scramble murky stagnancy so much they bring about rebirth, cleansing, freshness and purity, all anew. This laundry steam-iron and heavy-duty pile-driver trouserpresses and panel-beats often turbulent billowing waves ridden over; perseverance kept up, sustained, constant; until even, flat, smooth, slow, calm, nearly still. Blades and teeth in the galley conduct precision-surgery removal, uplifting vast liquid sheets; entire skins scraped and taken right away from support; same operations incise and engrave bite-mark potholes into marine surface; also, burial-mound molehill blisters stay malingering around after them. Chained anchor cast-albeit forwards and aloft, flown as kite. Clouds landed upon, caught and grabbed stretch tether tight, pulling hard enough, their sheer traction drags and steers craft along. Oceans, by now run out and grown tired of, coast and shore on dry land is sought, then found. Steep cliffs, high rooftops, mountain peaks, obstacles, conquests scaled, crossed, passed, left behind. Sadly, leash retracts, vessel ends up stranded and soon forgotten in the sky.

Douglas Park, 2011

Douglas Park, 2007

Douglas Park Greatest Hits Audio Album & Year Launch

Sleeve Note 7

104

Predatory Benevolence + Protective Imprisonment = Clam Nest Trap Shield Coffin Sanctuary Every known and unforeseen species and brand of ominous bugbear and saviour waits dormant and poised, always sensed and felt, however ignored; gradually, emergent presence becomes too made aware of and unmissable for “avoidance & denial policy” to still be options anymore. Although, agreement upon or opposition against approval or rejection either way defies unanimity or being fixed. To exhume an earlier promise and threat: “Determined, brutalist, serviceable and wholesome, yet careful and intimate labours engender hybrids, comprising: normality and the extraordinary; nature and artifice; the recognised and the unknown; harmlessness and uncertainty; sturdiness and vulnerability. Issues addressed number: universal hopes, fears and needs; paranormal and supernatural phenomena; alternative and primitive medicines; marginal and accepted (but controversial) scientific research and products. Then also, the mixed and conflicting opinions about potential consequences to such things — and whether they can solve problems, prove beneficial or actually pose risks and cause danger.”1 Each case-study specimen and exponent bred and grown, fully shows off (with both pride and shame) every mortal-wound and birthmark forensic-evidence clue scored. Exposure and display serves up on offer their original material substance (bandage dressing, fresh injury and bullet-proofed armour-plating elements all float loose, drift free and give birth to one another), as well as manufacture and development inflicted (surgical operation work begun and left incomplete provide foundations built on and guidelines followed throughout), alongside subsequently ensuing conditions and physicality (cosmetic, ornamental, grandiose and decorative symptoms, finery, deformities and patina open-sores and floral blossom). Cryptic secret-messages and formulæ burn onwards, encoded, hidden; until if or when deciphering is ever possible. Much stays underguard, held onto, well-kept and not let go of, without questions answered or knowledge passed on. Mystery and power resists partial dilution and complete loss. Instead, there’s gain, harbouring and generation of even more invincible enigma and force. Exchanges suggest, script, direct and enact themselves, whereby spare-part and accessory fixtures and components switch around, change place and rearrange, constantly in ongoing and irresolvable turnover, shuffling, substitution and upgrade. Conclusions, not even got remotely anywhere near, let alone arrived at.

Douglas Park Greatest Hits Audio Album & Year Launch

Sleeve Note 7

105

Whatever good or bad outcomes may or might not happen, endless turmoil provoked could generate more than enough perpetualmotion energy and self-renewable fuel to feed, drive and run everywhere, thing and body, non-stop, forever. Douglas Park, 2009

Exactly the very same author and artist as these ones here. Originated for and appearing in: Fresh-Air Machine, group exhibition catalogue, Calvert 22 / Outset, London, 2008

Douglas Park Greatest Hits Audio Album & Year Launch

Sleeve Note 8

106

Douglas Park Greatest Hits Audio Album & Year Launch

Sleeve Note 9

107

Disquiet Tectonica

Exfluence

Casually passing by through that same old, same old, all too familiar and very well known by now, abandoned barn / factory / warehouse / garage / aircraft hangar / prison cell, always leads to dungeon wall rock face cliff fortress; only this time round, gangplanks and drawbridge let down and portcullis rises up, inviting forbidden entry beyond. Crumple zone pressure point weak spot in masonry of dungeon wall rock face cliff fortress gives way, repairs, heals up, goes back to normal and as good as new all over again; gangplanks and drawbridge rise up and portcullis lets down, to slam and snap shut; that same old, same old, all too familiar and very well known by now, abandoned barn / factory / warehouse / garage / aircraft hangar / prison cell are left behind and soon forgotten, with no turning back anymore. Preliminary routine is undertaken of fumigation, vaccine jabs, medical test, strip body search and security check-up, allowing approval to receive an all clear, permitting unhindered, free and easy access throughout. Growing accustomed to these new found surroundings, reveals geological stratification and fossils of landfill, breakers yard, demolition site and mass burial grave charnel house of skulls and crossbones, also with disused machinery and apparatus, lying around in disarray. Turning away from such lumber, a hitherto ignored supermarket in a pristine, immaculate, sterile and synthetic shopping mall — fallen victim to electrical blaze, gas explosion, arson attack, bombing raid and spontaneous combustion, preventative obstructions deny access, but merchandise can be seen heat, fire, smoke and soot damaged, both thrown about and remaining otherwise intact on careful display. Dense conifers and palms draw near that part open and then close together again afterwards, helpfully enabling assisted passage along rugged and crooked pathways, cobblestones, streams and pools, embedded with trails of laboratory test tubes, retorts, beakers, flasks and bowls, while bubbling geysers boil, steam and froth. (Underfoot, the resonance and vibration of heavy-duty industry, excavation, engineering and vehicles is felt.) Slowly, nighttime fades to twilight, becoming dawn, then daybreak — suddenly, the thicket itself abruptly halts, arriving at a clearing, disappearing without a trace; thereafter, prospects of infinite expanses of vast and never ending parkland, meadows and pastures, continues for further than any eye could ever see — and then some…

Personalised and free-for-all will and strength (locked safe) recharge during feeding-time and drainage. Flotation and sinking states almost harmonise. Amidst dreams fallen and dropped in then out of (with much straying and trade, between these and those of so many others) restless slumber keeps wearing away, lifted — and awakening switches back on; independently, as well as thanks to surrounding disturbance and changes; neither sleeping nor consciousness score stronghold. Abrupt cancellation and deliverance arrives after noticing gradual or sudden shower of lightweight rubble and debris; most of the person gets targeted; dry sprinkling proves severely difficult to ever shake or brush off; unaccounted for original source and cause defy explanation (decoys being ambiguous and deceptive enough to confuse and deter attribution and tracking-down). Slight, gentle, firm and athletic bodily tremors and stirring vibrate dependable supportive furniture relied upon; chamber occupied jolts; effect lingers; resonation takes hold of entire building; unavoidable presence made felt. Ricocheted cannon-balls blow right through solid walls; vast sieve and countless wounds serve as respiratory ventilator. Customarily accepted expectations reverse; localised gale-forcewind continues, sent nearby and further; heavy machinery and deep geophysics rev up; slowly at 1st, then more ominous, soon intense; even triggering off otherwise unknown and previously absent similar and different such developments and productivity; new additions, introduced and become aware of, at close and distant ranges. Occurrences themselves often calm down, waiting leisurely and patient, highly liable to start up again, when and where ever that may be; all else overshadowed and outshone by their bearing and stance.

Douglas Park, 2002

Douglas Park, 2006

Douglas Park Greatest Hits Audio Album & Year Launch

Sleeve Note 10

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Mudbath Rainbow / Spectrum Debris There’s always and only the very same inevitable and ubiquitous stateof-affairs. Nothing else. Omnipotent regime, long since predating even before whenever earliest false-start kickoff began. Seemingly already dismissively written-off as advance-stillbirth fodder. However, inbuilt and spray-on obsolescence turns out to be undercover incognito disguise, secretly hidden behind all this while. Unburnt ash and sourceless wreckage become ballast and rubble launch-pad springboard. Ignition fuse lit by strain and effort. Detonation ensues. Luminous flora, molten liquid jewellery, overflowing watergarden features, eruptive firework-display, vibrant butterfly-farm. This still difficult and perilous (but enjoyable and beneficial) voyage-of-exploration unravels onwards ahead. Uphill struggle all the way. 1 stain, defect, rusting, wound, desperate repair and attempted upgrade after another emerge, flash up, grow and blossom along and throughout the roughly broken and torn rough edges. Often, bringing surprise discovery and new inventions. Somewhere faraway arrives, relocated, moving in, to stay put, just next-door. Special express delivery, severely welcome, with extreme acceptance. Anchor cast, roots set down, soon settling, fast established. Local vicinity banished into exile, away from the most remote distance, until best forgotten, never returning again. The slightest left-missed-out and kept-lacking space (whether removal, absence, loss, suspense, delay or pause) sure dœs appear mighty empty and no mistake. Although simple and mere parts of them effortlessly say, mean, encourage, help and cause many times over much more and better than what all present-and-correct sham decoy and solidity could ever hope, claim and pretend or actually do. Dismantling instead of assembly fuel and drive this geology, weather and life-force, which in turn is power-generator and steeringguidance for ongoing work-in-progress developments yet to come. Majority bulk mass survives, defying being within easy-reach or readily fathomable. Douglas Park, 2010

Douglas Park Greatest Hits Audio Album & Year Launch

Sleeve Notes

Advance scripted progress-report findings (in edgeways) grand-total score results (pending awaited outcome) Serialized intervention, (“Writing the part of: Detective Inspector Harris”), in Victim, collective bookwork, edited by Claire Hooper, Zazie Press, London, 2005

2 Human Shield Text & spoken-word, on “Hospital / Radio”, Richard Crow audiowork, track 10, SOUNDWORKS: For Those Who Have Ears, CD compilation album and book, produced by Julie Forrester, Niamh Lawlor, Danny McCarthy & Harry Moore, Art Trail, Cork, 2005

3 Nurseryworld Texts & spoken-word track, on nurseryworld / swanmachinery, CD single, with Kris Delacourt & Nico Dockx, Galerie Jennifer Flay, Paris, 2003; Claire Fontaine pages, http:// www.kmplt.be, Komplot, Brussels, 2008

Micro-Colonial-Drift / Growth-Area (via the Scenic-Route) in The Bastard / Magnetic Speech, anthology, edited by Dr. Clémentine Deliss, Metronome, London, 2001; text & spoken-word, side 2 track 4, “Micro-Colonial-Drift / Growth-Area (via the Scenic-Route)”, on New Opportunities for Focused Listening, audio-cassette compilation album, curated, edited & produced by Bevis Martin & Charlie Youle, Lieu Unique, Nantes, 2005; “MicroColonial-Drift / Growth-Area (via the Scenic-Route)”, (“A fractal topographic field report from Acorn Island”), http://www.charlie.youle.free.fr, promotional website, Nantes, 2005; badge, “INLAND OCEAN acorn i s l a n d”, The Badge Project, group edition, edited by Nico Dockx, Teleport Fargfabriken, Ostersund; 2008

Delphic-Oracle Self-Service Help-Desk Chat-Line Call-Centre Lists, anthology, edited by Emma Dwan O’Reilly & Keef Winter, Allotrope http://www.allotropepress. com / University of Ulster, 2011

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6 Misagreement (English / Flemish, translated by Dany Abeel & Super Pepe), in Gagarin www.gagarin.be volume 8 number 1 (number 15), edited by Wilfried Huet, Antwerp, 2007

Predatory Benevolence + Protective Imprisonment = Clam Nest Trap Shield Coffin Sanctuary Essay, Alison Gill, Brink solo exhibition, Sabine Wachters Fine Art, Brussels, 2009; Alison Gill’s artist’s website, http://www.alisongill.com, London, 2011; in AIR Traces, anthology, edited by Alan Quireyns and others, anthology, A.I.R, Antwerp, 2013; (also includes “definition” of Alison Gill, from preface / 18 untitled “definitions” of contributor’s practices, Fresh-Air Machine, group exhibition catalog, Calvert 22 / Outset, London, 2008)

8 Disquiet Tectonica Contributory input to “collaborative research project on new audiovisual writing and uncanny architecture”, with Kris Delacourt, Nico Dockx and Michelle Naismith, Disquiet Tectonica, DVD, Curious, Antwerp, 2002; in once the search is in progress, collective publication, Cycle Post-Diplome, ERBAN, Nantes, 2002; in “Utopia Station” section, Dreams and Conflicts — The Dictatorship of the Viewer, 50th Biennale di Venezia catalog, edited by Francesco Bonami & Maria Luisa Frisa, Marsilio Editori, Venice, 2003

9 Exfluence A.I.R, Antwerp, http://www. airaintwerpen.be 2006; in AIR Traces, anthology, edited by Alan Quireyns and others, A.I.R, Antwerp, 2013

10 Mudbath Rainbow / Spectrum Debris Prose-blurb & artwork, Something Dirty, music album, Faust www.faust.com/music/rock/ faust-band and www.faust-pages. com, Bureau-B Records http://www. bureau-b.com, Hamburg, 2011

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Itemized Miasma. Some might say Douglasism Festival’s highlight, spread throughout 3 floors of Kwanhoon Gallery, in Seoul’s old city centre, a historic heritage landmark.

Kwanhoon Gallery (195, Kwanhoon-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul) 25th October – 12th November, 2013 (closed on Mondays) Douglas Park Recital: 25th October Participants: Douglas Park (UK), Monika K. Adler (POL), Matthew Burbidge (UK), Marc Vaulbert de Chantilly (UK), Alex Chappel (UK), Collectif Marcel (various directors), Jean-Philippe Convert (BE), Cel Crabeels (BE), Michael Croft (UK), Richard Crow (UK), Clémentine Deliss (UK), Anaid Demir (FR), Rik Desaver (BE), Daniel Dewar (UK), Nico Dockx (BE), Jonathan Lahey Dronsfield (UK), David Evrard (BE), Claire Fontaine (FR), Maria Teresa Gavazzi (I), David Garchey (FR), Anthony Gross (UK), Ann Veronica Janssens (BE), Oan Kim (FR), Kosten Koper (UK), Rut Blees Luxemburg (DE), Brendan Lyon (UK), Olive Martin (BE), Jan Mast (BE), Christina Mitrentse (UK), Melissa Moore (UK), Michelle Naismith (UK), Sebastian & Thierry Paulico (FR), Owen Piper (UK), Rckay Rax (UK), Aeon Rose (UK), Kurt Ryslavy (A), Ilona Sagar (UK), Paul Sakoilsky (UK), Chris Shaw (UK), Gideon Cube Sherman (UK), Samon Takahashi (FR), Mark Aerial Waller (UK), Piers Wardle (UK), Keef Winter (UK), Oksun Kim (KR), Allotrope Press (UK), Building Transmissions (BE), Bruno Glint (UK), Decima Gallery (UK), Institution of Rot (UK), Kim Kim Gallery (KR, DE), Komplot (BE), Metronome Press (UK), Red Gallery (UK), Residence Gallery (UK), The Gallery Upstairs (UK), Trinity ∴ Arts Communications (UK) and more. Special Thanks: Damien Airault (FR), Sonia Dermience (BE)

Douglasism, Itemized Miasma

(Exhibition)

Douglas Park laboriously inscribed the walls with details such as titles, descriptions, dates, attribution and venues etc. linked to the exhibits. Seeing his work as a “dynamic inventory / itemized miasma”, he quotes himself as follows: “in many ways my work is illustration in reverse”.

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Douglasism, Itemized Miasma

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On the ground floor, large loudspeakers played a looped copy of the Douglas Park Greatest Hits CD. Large printed-out images depicting Douglas Park were aranged on the floor, ranging from Michael Croft’s iconic cutout figure, to the odd portraits. For the occasion Kim Kim Gallery produced “Bottled Park”. Full and empty “Bottled Park” beer bottles were scattered around in clusters, bearing “Bottled Park” brand labels, with Douglas Park’s image, indicating untold amounts of alcohol.

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Douglasism, Itemized Miasma

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The second floor was occupied by an archival show, which presented a chronologically sequenced archival selection of photographs, publications, performance paraphernalia, fliers, ephemera and rare manuscripts etc; all testament to the often collaborative nature of Douglas Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oeuvre. The presentation was rather unorthodox, but inviting towards viewers.

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Douglasism, Itemized Miasma

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Douglasism, Itemized Miasma

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Douglasism, Itemized Miasma

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The third floor hosted an installation of video projections, all featuring Douglas Park. Whenever possible, projection was large scale; otherwise, the rest of the movies were viewed on a circle of obsolete tube monitors.

Commensuratio

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Inspired by the activity of the Douglasism Festival and to be considered as an answer to question posed by the setting of Douglasism Festival 2013 in Seoul and as a reaction to the special consistency of the opus of Douglas Park, Sumi Kang chose to present the concept of Commensuratio, as performance-lecture. Commensuratio was presented as a concept for measuring language, as well as defining points which balance language. At the occasion â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Art of Critisism (Image of Critique)â&#x20AC;? an anthology of essays by Sumi Kang was launched. In this book Sumi Kang builds an image through words, a path of the real through the landscape of art criticism. Sumi Kang is an art critic and aesthetician based in Seoul.

Seoul Art Cinema (284-6, Nakwon-dong, Jongro-gu, Seoul) 8th November, 2013 Lecturer: Sumi Kang (KR)

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Towards the end of the Douglasism Festival, the Cinémathèque Seoul projected 14 films ranging from experimental to art, featuring Douglas Park in both supportive and leading roles. Douglas Park’s appearance is of slender build, of seemingly reserved attitude and apparent shyness. As an actor Douglas Park has played well-assimilated quasi-mythical roles like Columbo or a long term unemployed person, in such a way as to make you forget the fact that it is actually not THE Columbo or a long term unemployed person, but really himself during a performance and/or documentary.

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Mostly Douglas Park canteen scene (and later some spoken-word input for the intro sequence). “ScienceFiction Realism” nuclear power horror / thriller (starring veteran maverick reprobate, Mark E. Smith of The Fall, as “The Caterer” — singing his song he especially wrote for the part!).

List of screenings: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Glow Boys, 1998 Interview with a Nuclear Contract Worker, 1999 White Stag, 2001 Disquiet Tectonica, 2002 Au Revoir Moodle Pozart, 2003 Au Revoir Moodle Pozart, Documentary part 2: The Chronicler, 2003 The Flipside of Darkness, 2007 Columbo Eats Columbo, 2009 Marcel, 2009 Ancestral Unemployment, 2010 Kane’s Revolution, 2010 Immersion Test — Black Hole Scenario / after Jardin d'Hiver 1974 by Marcel Broodthærs, 2011 Les Institute des Arques, 2012 L’éclipse de l’âme, 2012

Seoul Art Cinema (284-6, Nakwon-dong, Jongro-gu, Seoul) 8 – 10th November, 2013 Artists: Anthony Gross (UK), Jan Mast (BE), Michelle Naismith (UK), Mark Aerial Waller (UK), Collectif Marcel (various directors)

Appearance and lead-in voiceover, Glow Boys, film, London, directed by Mark Aerial Waller, Aerial Films, London, 1998 16mm film to video, 14 min, color A study Mark Aerial Waller of the psychological state of the contemporary British nuclear industry. The film dramatises original research undertook over the course of a year. The script is developed from the pitch black humour of nuclear contract workers Waller met whilst travelling across the UK, from Wylfa in Anglesey, to Sizewell in Suffolk. This is a survey of a strange marriage between the maintained decrepitude of post war science and a highly sophisticated, but undermined PR campaign. Nothing had changed since Lindsay Anderson surveyed Britain in O’Lucky Man or Britannia Hospital, 25 years earlier.

Interview with a Nuclear Contract Worker, film, London, directed by Mark Aerial Waller, Aerial Films, London, 1999 Hi-8 to DigiBeta, 9 min, color Interview Mark Aerial Waller with a Nuclear Contract Worker acts as a host and paratext to Glow Boys. This work derives from a year-long conversation between Douglas Park and Mark Aerial Waller. It is an interview with an extra from the set of Glow Boys. He weaves a darkly humourus narration between his experience on the film set,

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exhibition catalog preface to Au Revoir Moodle Pozart, solo exhibition catalog, Fruitmarket Gallery (again), Edinburgh, 2003 Later, Michelle Naismith caressed the hope of a 2nd coming of “Moodle Pozart”, possibly as some kind of musical (or even opera), using an ivy-overgrown multi-storey “parking” car-park. I followed up “Disrehearsal” with a sequel, “Behind-The-Scenes ActionReplay Out-Takes”. Only, longterm delays or even permanent cancellation put paid to that venture.

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Appearance in The Flipside of Darkness, film, Mark Aerial Waller, Aerial Films, Warsaw, 2007

Columbo Eats Columbo, film, Anthony Gross, London 2009 Digital video, 28 min, color

Resistance Domination Secret Trilogy 1. Agamemnon, 7 min 19 sec 2. The Flipside of Darkness, 12 min 3 sec 3. The Children of the Night, 6 min 2 sec As Douglas Park “Orestes” (from Ovid’s Libation Bearers). Classical mythology enacted against backdrops of more recent, but still obsolete “futures” and “the shape of things to come”, from less distant past history.

Au Revoir Moodle Pozart, Documentary part 2: The Chronicler, directed by Michelle Naismith, Nantes, 2003 Digital video, 14 min, color Au Revoir Moodle Pozart, Documentary acts as a host and paratext to Au Revoir Moodle Pozart.

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The Anthony Gross famed TV detective inhabits a space of live action and computer animation investigating the end of the analogue and the dawn of the computing age. The video considers states of immersion. Computer animation, text-to-speech software and a soundtrack of downloaded electronic sound samples all go towards creating an anxious psychology. Amongst Douglas Park other intentions, Columbo Eats Columbo addresses issues of the passing of analogue technology and culture, despite fact much from that “golden-age” and “bygone-era” somehow stays (or gets kept and sustained) much more memorable, effective and influential than most of all whatevers been and gone since then.

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Partial origination of and appearance in Marcel, film, Collectif Marcel (various directors), Komplot, Brussels, 2009 Digital video, 26 min. color Marcel Douglas Park is a collective formed to make a film of the same name. A docudrama about the factual and fictive associations between three celebrated artists who gravitated around the surrealist movement in Belgium and France: Marcel Duchamp, Marcel Mariën and Marcel Broodthaers. A rocambolesque mise en scène, hallucinatory décor and spatiotemporal collages make the reappearance of these ghosts of surrealism possible. Marcel takes as its point of departure a reinterpretation of Marcel Mariën’s controversial film, L’ imitation du cinéma (The Imitation Of Cinema) (1959), itself a satire of the book The Imitation of Christ (Thomas à Kempis, 1424). Playing on the

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intentionally outdated aesthetics of this historic film, Marcel approaches the past in a similar way to Mariën who based his film on a book from the Middle Ages to critique surrealism and bourgeois Christian society. I had aired jokes with Sonia Dermience, Emmanuel Lambion and NG about there being some institutional society, foundation or museum dedicated unto the Belgian surrealist and communist, Marcel Marien (author, aphorist, collagist, object-maker and photographer, sometime hoaxer and prankster, writer of 1st major Rene Magritte monograph, editor of Les Levres Nues / Naked Lips publishing activities, director of the blasphemous provocative satire film, L’ imitation du cinéma, 1960). This led to ideas for a film, eventually to be known as “Marcel”. Although Komplot had often presented and worked with artists who make and show moving image work, they’d never made any themselves. I caught the Eurostar® train in London, joined by Jean-Philippe Convert (who’d scriptwritten and screenplayed Marcel), cameraman Frederico D’Ambrozio, sound recording engineer Eric Tatepo Kembo, and 1 of my co-stars, the actress, Maaike Neuville (“Young Bored Girl”). They’d filmed at the 7 Stars in central London, where theres still a Marcel Marien work in the window (a cowskull — not

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some cyclops — wearing a 1 lensed SPECTACLE — like a larger version of his between-the-wars “introuvable” surrealist-object), which the 7 Stars accepted from Marcel Marien en lieu of part or all of an unsettled drinks tab. We sat next to each other on the train and talked, I introduced myself to those still strangers to me, asking after how things had gone so far, discussing expectations etc of what would happen next and how that might be etc. Komplot had the run of a building in the Bourse of Brussels, not far from the centre, housing most of the film sets, acting and shooting (bedroom, railway train carriage, prison cell, party, “television studio” etc), apart from the London episode, our big day-out seasidespecial to Ostend and some other locations. I was pleasantly surprised to meet Thibaut Espiau, who I remember as a student from Nantes, then elsewhere in France, who’d moved to Brussels (Thibaut Espiau assisted Marilyne Grimmer on the backdrops). 1 episode was enacted and filmed in the Koninklijke Bibliotheek — just as the firealarm went off — myself not being required then for that meant I missed out on it. Some ideas ended up unused. Most regrettably (to me), was the short-term or permanent partial or entire ditching of a mass stop, search and arrest sequence,

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right up against a photomural of a bank’s interior. Undeniably, in keeping with the incident referenced, because apparently, it dealt with a filmed event originated by or at least involving Marcel Broodthærs, using a real or mock up bank’s “decor”, as host to a swinging 60’s “Pœtry Marathon / Olympics”, for the “exchange” of pœtry — only for the cameras not to work or any footage getting lost or destroyed — leaving only maybe some memories, records, legends, mythology, uncertainty and even lies surviving — but I know of an editioned print by Marcel Broodthærs, “Gedicht / Pœm / Pœme — Change / Exchange / Wechsel”, 1973 — a chart, playing with multilingual terms for “exchange” and “pœm” (with his “M.B” signature repeated in orderly rows and columns, all different amounts and sizes, each priced according to different major currencies). I spent much time conversing with Stuart “Kosten Koper” McGregor, both interpersonally and to record as audio for Marcel. Dany Dermience, Sonia Dermience’s father, very kindly drove us from Brussels for our big day-out seaside-special to Ostend (as the “Runner”). Ostend was chosen because of biographical and art links to the lives and works of 2 of the “Marcels”, Marien and Broodthærs. Once there, action-stations were on

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the sandy beach — whilst the sunbathers carried on as normal. Some people recognized Maaike Neuville from a T.V soap-opera series — and even wondered if I was somebody famous. The main scene was an “inaugural speech” by the “Director of Foundation Marcel”, Philip Van Den Bossche (real-life director of the James Ensor Museum, Ostend). Although we were there to work, concentrate, prepare and recover, the vast open-air, immediate environment and overall atmosphere all provided a welcome and needed break from mostly being within buildings. Before then, I’d only ever previously visited Ostend for leisure; but seafood, with Belgian beer and on the waterfront terraces proved still enjoyable, same as ever. While we sat and relaxed, Maaike Neuville got taken by surprise — by somebody’s small furry pet dog on an extended leash brushing past her. Back at base, as soon as we finished, after a very cramped and hectic workload, as an extension of 1 of the later scenes in Marcel, all involved just had a party. Stuart “Kosten Koper” McGregor took myself and other cast-members aside for some recording, but otherwise the job was done (fait d’accompli!). § The “Avant Premier” screening of

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Marcel with sideshow actions by contributors and cast-members was at Netwerk, Aalst, in 2010. For mine, I chose my subtitlecommentary for yet-another site-visit with Nico Dockx. “Newborn Voids Cancel and Replace Solid Matter”, 2008. Mostly about the empty and abandoned Galleria Dell Arte Moderna Bologna — but much of my input plays games using the suspense and expectation, kept and broken promises, possible surprise and disappointment of serialisation, in installments and stages, with intervals etc — inherent to a slide-show sequence such as that. As well as the shorter entries, after some brief preparations described, quite early on, a long-ish paragraph starts (interrupted by more-of-the-same interior pictures), describing an exploitative sex-show, whereby some nymphet gets served up on offer before a voyeuristic and predatory congregation — only for an explained halt — then more of my usual architecture / landscape / weather / force-field etc formulæ to take over for the rest of my commentary. Had there been time, to be in keeping with Marcel Marien and L’ imitation du cinéma, I’d also have recited, “Lowerarchy”. Shorter than “Newborn Voids Cancel and Replace Solid Matter”, alongside 3 other works, “Lowerarchy”, 1st appeared in The Bastard / Magnetic Speech,

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group anthology, edited by Dr. Clémentine Deliss, Metronome, London, 2001. “Lowerarchy” is a description and critique (partly using readymade words and phrasing, from hymns, prayers and other such material) of an earlier visual artwork by me, sharing the same name. Humble or even trivial domesticity is used to parody religious iconography, as well as identify various social and human realities with derision, whimsy, microcosm, bathos and metaphor. Like much else that I do, the reality is infinitely more simple that that. Sharing the bill was the best (and only known?) Douglas Park impersonator. The “glitch” electronica singer-songwriter, Pete Um. Taller than me, but wearing a similar pinstriped black suit, Pete Um did much of the voiceovers for the Marcel soundtrack narration (“The Voice of Marcel”), as well as performing some of his own songs. Merryl Hardt (another music-soundtrack contributor) and Eléonore Saintagnan (who was “script supervisor”) did a song and dance routine — with themselves as Oriental lantern accordion jack-in-thebox caterpillars. The young Frenchman, Benjamin Seror, with his number about a “timemachine”. Also, flamboyance from Grégoire Motte. The screening of Marcel and our performances all went well. Despite earlier uncertainty,

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it ended up possible to show Marcel Marien’s original L’ imitation du cinéma (parody of umpteenth-rate religiousinstruction material, fleetingly pornographic, with many deadpan oneliners, very scandalous and troublemaking when new, in 1960).

Appearance in Ancestral Unemployment, film, Michelle Naismith, Brussels, 2010 Digital video, 13 min 50 sec, color The Michelle Naismith Dutch government began requiring long-term unemployed citizens to come to term with their past lives or risk losing unemployment benefits. The government funded mandatory treatment program, called “reincarnation therapy” or “pastlife regression”, often involves hypnosis to help people “find experiences from pas identities that could be negatively

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affecting them today”, according to Klaas Boffcher of the Dutch Ruach Boraka Centre for Complementary Therapy. After De Limburger newspaper reported that the government paid $ 1,500 for an unemployed woman in Maastricht to attend a 10-week course, member of parliament challenged Piet Hein Donner, the Dutch social affairs minister, to justify funding not only reincarnation therapy, but also tarot card readings and astrology to help get people back to work. For some Douglas Park time, Michelle Naismith had expressed interest in a measure at least in the Maastricht area of the Netherlands, whereby longterm and recidivist unemployed jobseekers and other benefitclaimants were offered (or even made to undergo) pastlife regression assessment and therapy. Apart from a modest news item in a U.K “quality” newspaper, there seems to be little or nothing much covering it — or even from “survivors”. Finally, thanks to Komplot, Michelle Naismith had the opportunity to direct a movingimage work based on her impressions of this. Ancestral Unemployment was filmed at a traffic roundabout in the Stahl district or outer-suburb of Brussels, where theres an early 1990’s public artwork by a certain

Douglasism Screening

Florence Freson (my and other’s enquiry and research attempts drew blanks — until Michæl Dans identified!). For those unfamiliar, a standing-stone circle, of quarried megaliths, arranged into an ensemble, growing in an otherwise ordinary “natural” habitat. As though some outsize Bernd Lohaus split rubble, ambitious and grandiose Ulrich Ruckriem masonry, more accessible and urban Michæl Heizer earthworks, less classical Michæl Kenny, Matthias Gœritz’s “Satellite City Towers” etc, then doubtless other artists and works. Over the coming days, Michelle Naismith, Meryll Hardt and myself posed and moved on and around Florence Freson’s sculpture, engaging with the rocks, all wearing smart and presentable interview suits. Our millinery was a nun’s wimple and mirror disc for Michelle Naismith, while myself and Meryll Hardt got crowned by white headbands (also mirrored), courtesy of Dorothée Catry. A few scenes were in the middlepath, between 2 hedges, using an office desk and chairs. Hubert Marécaille and Frédéric Bernier filmed Michelle Naismith, Meryll Hardt and myself out of a moving car, sometimes with us on the traffic roundabout itself — and even by Frédéric Bernier — using mountaineering equipment to climb high up 1 of the menhirs — more than worthy

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of a performance and spectacle alone in itself! Needless to say, our antics yielded countless looks, gawping, comments and pressed-horn beeping from the passing motorists. Fortunately, the distraction caused no accident, crash or pile-up. Nothing further beyond any of that is known of. Tragically, during the Ancestral Unemployment acting and shoot, I got some bad news by text message, as well as other SMS, phone-calls and emails saying similar around the same time. The much loved (and now missed) London art event regular and partygœr, Richard Martin, had very swiftly passed away. An unrogueish Will Hay, Richard Martin was an irreplaceable personality, presence and 1-to1 company, forever missed and lamented. In 2004, he set up his own “Art Pops” newsletter mailout, regularly updating everybody with art event and party tipoffs. Not long before Ancestral Unemployment, I’d heard he wasn’t well enough to make and send his latest dispatch. He wasn’t seen around. Attempts to contact him met with no reply. It seems he’d suffered a brief (but hopefully not too distressing or painful) cancer. While worldly and realistic about human and social matters, Richard Martin would never hear an unkind word against anybody — and none could be said about him — if such

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subjects ever arose — he’d say what was needed — then move on to better. An unfortunate irony is he worked for a South East London welfare agency, somehow dealing with those who’d been bereaved. I regret not attending any memorial events — but equally, the fact I ended up never accepting his offer of visiting his house to curate an art exhibition of artwork and other material in his collection. R.I.P Richard Martin 1954-2010.

Appearance in Kane’s Revolution, film, Anthony Gross, London, 2010 Blue ray, 30 min, color Kane’s Anthony Gross Revolutions sees Columbo hunt for the gangster criminal KANE in the streets of South London. Using random pages of comic books found in a fleamarket in Shanghai, a narrative is superimposed onto a real site of urban regeneration. In the film, a digital video collage that

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considers cut-up techniques and stream of consciousness modes, Kane invents a drug called REGENERATION. A filmreference-cast of characters occupy this floating digital world, from detectives to replicants, corrupt cops and town mayors. It is about the condition of The Digital — and explores a multitude of media, effects and formats to stitch together the idea of a contemporary place that is made from historical — and future fantasy projections. Douglas Park The 2nd time in a row, stereotypecast by Anthony Gross as a “Columbo” type personage. Addressing issues of “urban renewal”. Also, live event (with myself and other Kane’s Revolution cast members) at Beaconsfield, project and event space, London, 2010 (Kane’s Revolution being a Beaconsfield commission).

Appearance in Immersion Test — Black Hole Scenario / after Jardin d’Hiver 1974 by Marcel

Douglasism Screening

Broodthærs, Anthony Gross, London, 2011 Digital video, 7 min, color I have Anthony Gross an abstracted Columbo typing. Typing, perhaps, his own story. I found a specially coded digital video filter that interprets black hole theory. It processes the image so that every area of black becomes a gravitational vortex pulling the light around into it. Like our real sky, there are hundreds of black holes around us. In addition to his typing sounds is the vinyl soundtrack made from downloads of birdsong. The camera pulls 8 meter on a track into an illuminated jungle area. The looping video, sounds and camera zoom take you in and out of a performed act of mental imagining. The work refers to Marcel Broodthaers’ Le Jardin d’Hiver (1979) and a typewriter from the same year was found for this work, for a detective of the same period to use, filmed in a personal location with the same ethos. For Douglas Park the 3rd time, stereotypecast by Anthony Gross as a “Columbo” type personage. But this time around, more “Columbroodthærs” (a Columbo and Marcel Broodthærs hybrid), typing away, on a classic Soviet manual typewriter, near a

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remake of Marcel Broodthærs’ Le Jardin d’Hiver palm tree installation, with everything optically distorted and mutating.

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seemed to be something to do with the rehabilitation of people, with all these scenarios enacted, both here and elsewhere, as though that were part of their… as though they were being reconditioned back into society or work, after some kind of illness or whatever.

Appearance in Les Institute des Arques, film, Michelle Naismith, Les Arques, 2012 HD, 30 min, color A Douglas Park fictitious (and possibly fraudulent?) therapeutic commune, claiming to “treat” and “rehabilitate” inmate patients (of some unclear conditions), purportedly attained by arts & crafts and other pastimes. An especially originated film, shot on location and elsewhere. A series of enacted tableaux vivantes storytelling about an imaginary hospital and supposed therapies. Michelle Naismith’s film. I do not know if she’s come up with a title for it yet. My attempt, as I would put it, to define that, ended up as, a fictitious kind of institution, that

Written text & spoken soundtrack voiceover commentary (with appearances), L’éclipse de l’âme, videowork, Jan Mast, Ghent and Waregem, 2012 Blue ray, 55 min, color As well Douglas Park as being a work in its own right, L’éclipse de l’âme is a progressreport summary of findings and results; an appraisal by Jan Mast of his experience, concerns and development, as an artist and in his personal life. Both worlds very much interconnect. Complex visual and lingual sequences reference Jan Mast’s own projects, his solo work and also collaborations with others, as well as chosen examples

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of art and culture, Jan Mast’s researches, reading, traveling, leisure activities and especially staged scenes etc.

From the drawing series: Henry Moorish Douglasism Monument, Gregory Maass

The Main Bulk of My Output

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The majority main-bulk of my output consists of written art and iterary prose “stories”, both as my project and collaboration input or as “essays”, as well as almost kinda normal “criticism” and supportive backup information. However, despite appearing or even partly being eccentric and autonomous, I’m severely conscientious, ethical and pragmatic — given my insistence on gleaning maximum insight and lowdown — and full consultation of those involved in the same venture, as much for myself and my input as for the project. But many of my works can “survive”, alone, by themselves, on their own; reuse is possible and sometimes done — not lazy, dismissive and noncommittal disposal — always selected and chosen with reason. Form taken can vary from: the printed page; live events (recitals and lectures, at launch receptions, performances, conferences etc); audio recordings; moving image; exhibited artwork; online etc. Despite being akin to literature, most origination, development and outlet is linked to visual art — and rooted very much in my earliermostly unexposed and abandoned visual art practice — sharing many common concerns and characteristics — but allowing infinitely greater potential for flexibility and scope — never easy or even possible in my previous practice. My “service” can be applied to just about any and every thing, where, body and time. When I still made visual art, it was mainly deadpan oneliners; jokes with categories, definition, meaning and contradictions-in-terms; excuses to use found, modified and self-authored language. I always wrote anyway, including critical essays and information. My more recent and ongoing almost / semi / non “career” (such as it is) began around the late 1990’s and year 2000; after I’d given up deluding myself and deceiving others of whatever it was I claimed and pretended I “did” or was; beforehand, if people encouraged or invited me — I all too often gave up — despite a partial track-record dating back to the late 1980’s and early 1990’s; only this time around, I embraced and accepted offers and opportunities, following up ideas — at 1st, salvaging and regurgitating ideas and material leftover from what I’d done earlier — then soon, avoidance, escape, disguise, transformation and improvement of that — until moving onwards and away from there. As I said in an unpublished statement: “I suppose I’m an opposite other way around reversal of (yet another idiom or genre I identified — as part of my habit of ‘idioming’ and ‘genrefication’). Whereby (ex) literary writers and pœts / publishers (persons of letters etc), later become more exposed and successful as visual artists — yet with many common and recurrent threads held onto. Vito Acconci, Vincenzio Agnetti, Marcel Broodthærs, Joan Brossa, Christian Dotremont, Ian Hamilton Finlay, Jochen Gerz, Jiri Kolar, Henri Michaux, Michel Seuphor, Jean-Claude Silbermann and Emmett Williams etc.”

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As for my present works, I usually generate, introduce, describe, enforce and inflict an inescapable reality; whereby strange but familiar and credible environments, processes, events and forces unravel and proceed (nota bene: some of these “stories” are born out of reaction to site-visits, research and insight, which I follow up, develop and perfect). A mutant hybrid cross-between nature and artifice, lacking culpability or authorship attribution and accusation — as though somehow just happening — and ambiguous as to morality of intention, purpose and outcome. Embodiment and delivery of such imagery and scenes is pulled off using half prosaic and part deadpan words and phrasing; any human presence and action is nearly absent, except represented by mere implication, symbolism, metaphor and anthropomorphosis or the most fleeting and brief of clichés. Every aspect of the ensuing overall end-result is a mental, perceptual, material and cultural presence and experience; hopefully coming across as already pre extant, up and running, known, accustomed to, normal and inevitable. Issues arise and are addressed of how free, controlled, honest, insincere, genuine and false any creativity or anything else for that matter can be or is. While rarely born or finalized using systems (like Raymond Roussel, Oulipo authors, the Vienna Group etc), theres more deliberate contrivance than there supposedly is in Stream-Of Consciousness, Surrealist Automatism and Beatnik FreeAssociation. Although banal and mundane found language is used and referenced — and readymade quality is aimed at — I rarely manipulate lifted sources (as in “found pœtry”, William S. Burroughs and Brion Gysin’s Cutup and Fold-in novels, Unica Zurn’s profound anagrams, Tom Phillips’s “Humument” stories etc). If and when possible, necessary and justified, my contribution is presented in such a way as to parasitically infest, take over, feed off, grow on and play games with (or save) the host. An otherwise marginal inclusion is made central, whilst a group or collective outlet becomes solo. Sometimes, I write spin-off revelatory “meta-literature”. Behind the-scenery and inside-storytelling about the background, production and other circumstances around my work and projects. To quote myself in my artist’s statement (or “Policy”!), “in many ways my work is illustration in reverse” is what I’ve said about all this, finally arriving at the summarized definition of it as “Dynamic Inventory / Itemized Miasma”. Douglas Park

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내가 생산하는 대부분의 것들

내가 생산해내는 대부분은 글로 써진 예술 그리고 문학적 산문인 ‘이야기들’로

환경, 과정, 사건, 세력이 풀려나오고 진행된다. (주의: 이 ‘이야기’ 중 어떤 것들은

구성된다. 그것들은 나의 프로젝트이며 협업에 투입되는 자원이거나 ‘에세이’, 거의 일반적인 종류의 ‘ 비평’과 보조적인 정보다. 내가 좀 괴짜 같고 제멋대로 인듯

내가 추적하고 발전시켜 완성한 현장 답사, 연구와 통찰에 대한 태도에서 탄생한다.)

보이지만, 최대한 통찰력을 투여하고 비밀스러운 정보들을 모아내는 노력을 한다는

부족하고 — 어떨 땐 그냥 일어나기는 하지만 — 의도, 목적, 결과에 대한 도덕적인

점에서 나는 매우 성실하고 윤리적이며 실용적이다. 나 자신뿐 아니라 프로젝트에

질문에 애매한 반응을 보인다. 그러한 이미지와 장면은 반쯤은 평범하고 반쯤은

대해서, 또한 같은 모험의 동반자들을 최대한 고려한다는 점에서도 그러하다. 그러나 나의 여러 작품은 홀로, 그리고 그 자체로 스스로 ‘살아남을’ 수 있다. 이들은 재사용이

의인화(anthropomorphosis)나 아주 짧고 간단한 상투적 표현들을 제외한다면 어떤

자연과 인위 사이를 넘나드는 돌연변이 잡종은 죄, 혹은 저작권의 귀속, 혐의가

무덤덤한 단어와 어구를 통해 형태를 갖추고 전달된다. 단순한 함축, 상징, 은유,

가능하고 때로는 실제로 재사용되는데, 이렇게 선정되고 선택받는 데는 그럴 만한

인간의 존재와 행동도 거의 없는 것이나 다름없다. 뒤따라오는 최종 결과물들의 면면은

이유가 있다. 그저 태만하게, 그리고 거부하거나 방관하는 태도로 폐기되지 않는

정신적, 지각적, 물질적, 문화적 현재와 경험이다. 이미 있던 것, 작동 중인 것, 알려진

것이다. 작업은 인쇄물, 라이브 이벤트(발표회, 강의, 출판 기념회, 퍼포먼스 등)에서,

것, 익숙한 것, 정상적이고 피할 수 없는 것들 모두가 함께 따라오기를 바랄 뿐이다.

녹음, 동영상, 전시, 온라인 등 다양한 형태로 구체화되었다. 이렇게 문학과 비슷한 형태를 띠고 있음에도, 대부분의 시작과 발전, 결과는 시각예술과 관련이 있다. 특히 거의 발표된 적도 없이 폐기된 초기의 시각예술

독창성이나 다른 무언가가 얼마나 자유로운지, 통제되고 있는지, 정직한지, 불성실한지, 진정성 있는지, 거짓된 것인지에 대한 이슈와 논쟁들이 일어날 수는 있다. 레몽 루셀 1, 울리포 2 작가들, 비엔나 3 그룹처럼 시스템을 사용하여 탄생하거나

작업들은 바로 그 뿌리다. 나의 작업은 쉽기는커녕 불가능했던 유연성과 무한한

끝나지는 않았지만, 의식의 흐름, 초현실주의적 오토마티즘, 비트 세대의 자유

가능성과 잠재력이 있었던 그 초기작들과 관심과 특징을 공유하고 있다. 나의

연상보다는 좀 더 세심하게 고안된 장치들이 있을 것이다. 진부하고 통속적인

‘서비스’는 어떤 장소, 몸체, 시간에도 적용될 수 있다. 나의 초기 미술 작업은 주로

언어를 사용하고 인용했지만(그리고 기성품의 완성도를 겨냥했지만), 이미

무표정하게 던지는 짤막한 농담들이었다. 범주와 정의, 의미, 또는 모순이 함축된

존재하고 있는 기법들을 이용하지는 않았다. (‘ 파운드 포에트리 4 ’, 윌리엄 버로스 5 와

이 농담들은 발견하고, 수정하고, 자체적으로 만든 언어를 사용할 핑계들이었다고

브라이언 지신 6 의 컷업, 폴드인 소설들, 유니카 쥐른 7 의 아나그램, 톰 필립스 8 의

할 수 있다. 어쨌든 나는 항상 비판적인 논평과 정보를 포함한 글을 썼다. 나의 최근

‘휴무먼트(homument = human + document)’ 이야기 같은 것들 말이다.)

작업들, 진행 중인 일들(내 경력에 속하거나, 반쯤만 속하거나, 아니면 경력과는 상관없는 일들)은 1990 년대 후반에서 2000 년경 시작됐다. 내가 ‘했’거나 혹은

기생하여, 숙주를 장악하고, 얹혀살고, 그 안에서 자라며 숙주와 경쟁(혹은 구제)하는

나였다고 주장했던 것, 그런 척했던 많은 것들로 나 자신을 기만하고 타인을 속이기를

방식으로 나타날 것이다. 그렇지 않으면 단체나 집단적 결과물이 주도하는 가운데 이

포기한 후였다. 그 이전에는 사람들이 나를 북돋아주거나 초대하면 — 내가 너무 자주

같은 미미한 개입이 중심이 되게 하는 것이다. 이따금 나는 계시적인 ‘ 메타 문학’인

가능하고, 필요하고, 정당하다면, 내가 기여하는 바는 숙주에서 떼 지어

포기해버렸지만 — 여러 가지 제안과 기회를 받아들였다. 1980 년대 말과 1990 년대

스핀오프를 집필하기도 한다. 무대 배경 뒤의 이야기, 이야기 내부의 이야기, 내

초에 대한 부분적인 기록들을 보자면 말이다. 당시에는 그 전에 내가 했던 것에서

작업과 프로젝트들을 둘러싼 생산 과정과 환경들에 대해 언급하기도 한다. 내 ‘예술가

생각들과 남은 물질을 인양하고 역류시키고는 곧 그것에 대해 회피, 도망, 변장, 변형,

성명(혹은 정책!)’에서 인용하면, “여러 모로 내 작업은 뒤집힌 삽화다”라는 말이 이

개선하는 방식으로 생각들을 덧붙이면서 계속 나아가고, 또 멀어질 때까지 기회를

모든 것을 정리할 수 있을 것이다. 결국 이것은 “ 역동적 재고 목록이자 불온한 공기”로

수용했던 것이다.

요약할 수 있을 것이다.

출간되지는 않은 어느 글에서 나는 이렇게 말했다. “ 나는 내가 반전을 뒤집은 그 반대라고 생각한다(이 역시 ‘숙어 만들기(idioming)와 ‘장르화하기(genrefication)’ 습관으로 내가 발견한 또 하나의 숙어, 혹은 장르이지만). (전직) 문학 작가들과 시인들, 출판업자들(모두 문자형 인간들이다)이 나중에 시각 예술가로서 더 알려지고 성공하는 경우가 있다. 비토 아콘치, 빈첸치오 아녜티, 마르셀 브로타스, 조안 브로사, 크리스티앙 도트르몽, 이안 해밀턴 핀레이, 요헨 게르츠, 지리 콜라르, 앙리 미쇼, 미셸 쇠포르, 장클로드 실베르만, 에밋 윌리엄스 등 그 예는 많다.” 내 현재 작업에 대해 다시 말하자면, 나는 주로 피할 수 없는 실재를 만들어내고 소개하고 묘사하고 시행하고 괴롭힌다. 그래서 이상하지만 익숙하고 설득력 있는

더글러스 파크

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레몽 루셀(Raymond Roussel, 1877 – 1933). 프랑스의 시인, 소설가, 극작가, 음악가. 초현실주의, 울리포, 누보로망에 이르기까지 20 세기 프랑스 문학 전반에 영향을 주었다.

울리포(OuLiPo). 잠재 문학 작업실(Ouvroir de littérature potentielle)의 약자.

1960 년대 프랑스에서 일군의 작가, 수학자, 예술가 등을 중심으로 형식적 제약 아래 문학의 가능성을 실험했던 작가 집단. 3

비엔나 그룹(Vienna Group). 2 차대전 후부터 1960 년대 중반까지 이어진, 오스트리아 작가들이 참여했던 소규모의 아방가르드 집단. 바로크 문학, 표현주의, 다다이즘, 초현실주의 등에 관심을 가졌다. 파운드 포에트리(found pœtry). 단어, 문장, 때로는 한 문단 전체를 다른 작품에서 취하여 재배치하는 시의 작법. 공간과 행에 변화를 주고 텍스트를 추가 혹은 삭제하여

새로운 의미를 전달한다. 윌리엄 버로스(William Burroughs, 1914 – 1997 ). 미국의 소설가, 수필가. 비트 세대의 대표적인 작가. 대표작으로 「퀴어(Queer)」, 「정키(Junkie)」, 「네이키드

6 7 8

런치(The Naked Lunch)」 등이 있다. 브라이언 지신(Brion Gysin, 1916 – 1986). 영국의 화가, 작가. 유니카 쥐른(Unica Zürn, 1916 – 1970). 독일 초현실주의 화가, 작가. 톰 필립스Tom Philips(1937 –). 영국 화가이자 음악가, 큐레이터.

Rob Voerman, 2014, after Anaid Demir, after Casper David Friedrich

Douglas Park Biobibliography

1998

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Douglas Park Biobibliography

1999

Glow Boys, film, London, directed by Mark Aerial Waller, artist and film director, born High Wycombe 1969, lives and works in London http://www. markaerialwaller.com/

Untitled group exhibition, curated by City Racing “Life / Live”, U.K art-scene survey, curated by Hans-Ulrich Obrist etc, Musée d'Art moderne de la Ville de Paris, touring to Centro Culturelle de Belem, Lisbon, 1996 – 1997 “City Racing 1988 – 1998: A Partial Account”, curated by Matthew Higgs and others, Institute of Contemporary Arts, London, 2001

Douglas Park Biobibliography

2001

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Douglas Park Biobibliography

2001

“Quarry”, “Panoramamorphosis”, “Lowerarchy” & “Micro-Colonial-Drift / Growth-Area (via the Scenic-Route)”, in The Bastard / Magnetic Speech, anthology, edited by Dr. Clémentine Deliss, Metronome, London Dr. Clémentine Deliss, curator, researcher, publisher and lecturer, born London 1960, presently lives and works in Frankfurt am Main, directrice of Weltkulturen Museum, Frankfurt am Main; Metronome (artists’ and writers’ organ), itinerant, 1996-2007 http://www.metronomepress.com/

Untitled entries, in THE STUNT, anthology, edited by Dr. Clémentine Deliss, Metronome, London

White Stag, film, Mark Aerial Waller, London

Groupe de Recherche Multipoint, research residency, ERBAN (École Régionale des Beaux-Arts de Nantes — since renamed “École Supérieure des BeauxArts de Nantes Métropole”), Nantes, self-managing and otherwise revised experimental version of Cycle Post-Diplome Internationale, ERBAN, Nantes (with Dessislava Dimova, April Durham, Christine Lacquet, Michelle Naismith and Olive Martin)

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Douglas Park Biobibliography

2002

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Douglas Park Biobibliography

2002

Blow by Blow, collective exhibition, with April Durham, Olive Martin & Michelle Naismith, Zoo Galerie, Nantes http://www.zoogalerie.fr/ April Durham, born 1966, visual artist and writer, lives and works in Los Angeles, directrice of the Small Wonder Foundation, Riverside, California http://www.smallwonderfound.org/ Michelle Naismith, artist and film director, born Glasgow 1967, lives and works in Brussels http://michellenaismith.com/

From the series, “D’après le Thematic Apperception Test de Murray (1938)”, photowork, Olive Martin, Nantes (Reenacted scenes from “Thematic Apperception Test” or “T.A.T”, psychology exercise, invented by Henry A. Murray, Christiana D. Morgan and others, at Harvard University, during the 1930’s) Olive Martin, artist, born Liege 1973, lives in Nantes

“Loop & Pinhole Duct / Punctuation Mark Crumb / Laser-Beam SewingThread / Mirror-Tile Picture-Window / Brick-Wall Control-Panel Keyboard / Pharmaceutical Paramedic Plague” & other untitled interventions, in un atelier, anthology, edited by Nico Dockx, ERBAN, Nantes (republished in 86 Occurrences, various editors, Miser & Now, Keith Talent Gallery, London, 2004)

Disquiet Tectonica, DVD, with Kris Delacourt, Nico Dockx & Michelle Naismith, Curious, Antwerp. Collaborative research project on new audiovisual writing and uncanny architecture. Nico Dockx, born Antwerp 1974, artist and founder of Building Transmissions collective and Curious Editions; Kris Delacourt, born Antwerp 1978

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Douglas Park Biobibliography

2002

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“Pied-a-Terre Lumiere”, Rut Blees Luxemburg public artwork, Pied-a-Terre Lumiere, Place de Laurieres, Bellevue, Nantes (artist’s pages with Rut Blees Luxemburg, in Future as Nostalgia, various editors, Miser & Now, Keith Talent Gallery, London, 2004; republished in Commonsensual, Rut Blees Luxemburg monograph, Black Dog, London, 2009) Rut Blees Luxemburg, photographer and art educator, born Mosel 1967, lives and works in London http://www. rutbleesluxemburg.com/

Douglas Park Biobibliography

2002

Gasthof, various activities / projects, organised by Dirk Fleischmann & Jochen Volz, Städelschule, Frankfurt am Main Belgrade Soup, by Dragan Djordjevic, Marijana Gobeljic, Jelana Janev, Tijana Kneževic, Olivera Markovic, Tanja Markovic, Jelana Martinovic, Srdan Nedeljkovic, Rastko Omcikus, Maja Rakocevic, Marija Skoko, Bojan Slacala, Milan Stošic, Marko Stamenkovic, Ivana Smiljanic, Olga Ungar and Svetlana Volic, photo by Miriam Bäckström

Douglas Park and Dr. Clémentine Deliss, Mason's Arms Pub, London, 2002, after Rut Blees Luxemburg Cauchemar, solo show private view, at Laurent Delaye Gallery. Dr. Clémentine Deliss (with raised hands), next to Alexander Garcia Duttmann (bespectacled). Nobody else identified or known. Photo by Aeon Rose, 2002

The closing event for Five Years (and other galleries in Underwood Street, London). Mark Ærial Waller's night-long Fassbinder screening. From Left to Right: Dr. Clémentine Deliss, Rut Blees Luxemburg, Mark Ærial Waller, Douglas Park, © Babak Ghazi, 2002

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Douglas Park Biobibliography

2003

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Douglas Park Biobibliography

2003

Nurseryworld, group exhibition, curated by James Thornhill, Galerie Jennifer Flay, Paris Recital on James Thornhill’s indoor bridge, Nurseryworld, launch event, photo by Anaïd Demir nurseryworld / swanmachinery, CD single, with Kris Delacourt & Nico Dockx, Galerie Jennifer Flay, Paris

Jennifer Flay with the Invitation, The Gallery Has Been Completely Vandalised!, London, 2000 Photo by Anaïd Demir, 2003 Jennifer Flay, born Auckland 1959, Parisian gallerist from 1991 – 2003, from 2003 onwards, directrice of F.I.A.C art fair and other positions, Paris

James Thornhill, artist, born New Forest 1967, lives and works in Paris (since 2004 onwards, “assistant” of Claire Fontaine http://www.clairefontaine.ws with Fulvia Carnevale, Paris)

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Die Anthologie der Kunst / Anthology of Art group exhibition, curated by Jochen Gerz. 18. November 2004 – 9. Januay 2005, Hanseatenweg 10, Berlin-Tiergarten

Rob Vœrman, “Bad Habits”, ¢ell Projects, London Rob Vœrman, sculptor and graphic artist, born Deventer 1966, lives and works in Arnhem and Grœssen) http://www.robvoerman.nl/ http:// cellprojects.org/ The Beginning of the World curated by Milika Muritu, David Hemmings, Milika Muritu, Dylan Shipton, Rob Vœrman, Gavin Wade 24 Jul 2004 Private View & Gallery re-launch at new site. Performance by COMANECHI

Sides B.) “Karatæoke” & C.) “Obombrer”, The Bastard Remixes, 4-side double vinyl L.P compilation album, produced by Nico Dockx & Samon Takahashi, Conspiracy Records, Antwerp Samon Takahashi, musician and artist, born Paris 1970, lives and works in Paris

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Vollevox 9, with Building Transmissions, Karl Holmquist, Maurizio Nannucci & Anri Sala, organised by Sonia Dermience, Dexia Art Center, Gebouw Vanderborght, Brussels (“Undercover Vacation / Top-Secret Showcase”, in VOLLEVOX: La Voix dans L’Art Contemporain / The Voice in Contemporary Art, double-disc CD compilation and book, produced by Veronique Depiesse, Sonia Dermience & Estelle Lecaille, Komplot, Brussels, 2005) http://www. kmplt.be/

live sound performance, Building Transmissions, feat. Jan Lemaire, in collaboration with Karl Holmqvist, Maurizio Nannucci, Douglas Park & Anri Sala, organized by Nico Dockx in association with Vollevox (Sonya Dermience / Komplot), Dexia Art Center / Gebouw Vanderborght, Brussels, 2004 ©, Jan Mast, 2004

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To me, my earliest path-crossing with Richard Crow is the one most distinct to me. There may well have been previous meetings, only possibly mostly forgotten or much of them got mislaid, perhaps adequate form was lacked to begin with anyway, unless they were just mistaken-identity case false-alarms. Whatever, this memorable meeting happened over an entire weekend, in 1998, at Hackney Community College, London, because we were both extras, in the canteen scene, for Mark Aerial Waller’s Glow Boys, “Science-Fiction Realism” nuclear power horror / thriller (starring veteran maverick reprobate, Mark E. Smith of The Fall, as “The Caterer” — singing his song he especially wrote for the part!). Like most other cast, I was given an industrial boiler-suit to wear and my face was made-up; before or after which preparation, the door to my changing-room stuck shut, causing distress and panic, but rescue and escape to safety and freedom happened; while my upright bouffant hair verged on being afro. During my wait around outside, suddenly or gradually, the somehow familiar and reassuring, but dark and “otherly”, Richard Crow saw me, approached nearer, slowed down and pointed, gently remarking: “You look scary!” I nearly reacted back at him (as I later told him), “Listen to / look at who’s talking!” Only that’d have been exclaimed loudly. Both days, it was mostly each other we spoke with when not acting on set. Immediate ominousity, progressive unraveling, prelude towards much more further beyond ahead from there. I can still remember episodes and aspects from that shooting, including what I myself did and said, but not much from my side of the conversation (if I added much). I found myself absorbing insight into Richard Crow’s practice and personal and creative roots and interests. Namely, that which lies behind much of life, only to end up denied and forbidden; profound, disturbing even, but special and wondrous, maybe actually magical. I realized I already knew about Richard Crow’s Institution of Rot! A mysterious almost secret performance club, in his North London domestic house and workspace, active between the early and mid 1990’s, but already born out of practices dating back to even earlier than that, then enjoying a healthy (or sickly?) dormantly haunting and hauntingly dormant (happily ever?) afterlife, despite Richard Crow having to vacate the Institution of Rot more recently. I’d once seen or uplifted a flier for an Institution of Rot event (domestic festival?): 1996’s officially funded, The Noisiness of Bodies (a renaissance engraving facsimiled?). Yet another experience or even opportunity I missed during a mostly wasted era. Lost time more than made up for later. Amongst the most unusual entries in the alternative / independent / artist-run organization and space

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2005

“Defamiliarisation”, in ghosttransmissions, Building Transmissions project, group bookwork, co-curated / edited by David Bussel & Nico Dockx, Art Connection, Bangkok / Cubitt, London http://cubittartists.org.uk/

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Kurt Ryslavy, True Marchand du Vin / The London-Galleries-Therapy, DVD video. Special Guest: Douglas Park Toni Geirlandt and Jos de Gruyter, Brussels

Preface, “Woodland, Mountain, Desert, Arctic & Marine Geology, Organic, Climate & Weather Merchandise, Services & Personnel” (also 15 photographic credits), in True Marchand du Vin / The London-Galleries-Therapy, Kurt Ryslavy exhibition prospectus / brochure, Bureau du Port / De Wijn / Le Vin, Brussels

Introduction, Kurt Ryslavy The London-Galleries-Therapy exhibition launch, Bureau du Port, Brussels

Kurt Ryslavy, artist and wine merchant, born Graz 1961, lives and works in Brussels http://www.ryslavy.com/ http://patacycliste.org/

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2007

Public intervention, with Cel Crabeels & Rik Desayer, Paolo Post Futurum, group exhibition launch, Stadt Museum, Breda Cel Crabeels, video artist, born Antwerp 1958, lives and works in Antwerp http://www.lokaal01.nl/

“Locked-up metric tide (stuck on hold) / Free land wave outflow set loose”, with photographic images by Nico Dockx and design etc by Jean-Michel Meyers, Lokaal 01, Antwerp & Breda / Stadt Museum, Breda (see also: “Insidestory about Cel Crabeels” exposee of Dan Graham's “Belgian Funhouse” as partial insight into the author's own work, http://www.slashseconds.org/10, THE DREAMMACHINE (Useless Beauty and Fuzzy Logic), curated by Derek Horton & Pete Lewis, Redux Projects, London / Leeds Metropolitan University) Jean-Michel Meyers, graphic designer and illustrator, born Uccle 1974, lives and works in Antwerp http://www.jeanmichelmeyers.be/

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THE WAYWARD CANON prezentujq CHROMA KEY, screening / event, organised by Mark Aerial Waller, Plan B, Warsaw http://www.waywardcanon. com/ http://www.planbe.pl/

Untitled public intervention (with Cel Crabeels and Rik Desayer), Paulo Post Futurum, group exhibition reception event, Stadt Museum, Breda, 2007 Serialised text, “Locked-up metric tide (stuck on hold) / Free land wave outflow set loose”, untitled double-sided postcard suite (photographic images by Nico Dockx and design etc by Jean-Michel Meyers), Curious, Antwerp / Lokaal 01, Antwerp, Breda / Stadt Museum, Breda, 2007 Designed by Jean-Michel Meyers http://slashseconds.org/issues/003/002/articles/dpark/index.php

Piccadilly’s Peccadiloes, Public Art Installation by Rut Blees Luxemburg, Heathrow, London Text written and read by Dougals Park for the inauguration of the work in Heathrow

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“Misagreement” (English / Flemish, translated by Dany Abeel & Super Pepe), in Gagarin volume 8 number 1 (number 15), edited by Wilfried Huet, Antwerp “The artists in their own words” http://www.gagarin.be/

Recital, Le Chat Noir, cabaret chosen and presented by Anne Pigalle, Le Café Royale, London Photo by Aeon Rose, Trinity∴Arts Communications Anne Pigalle, singer, songwriter, performer, pœt and artist, born Paris, lives and works in London http://www. annepigalle.com/

“Special Guest”, Alles was Minimal ist?, Kurt Ryslavy exhibition launch, Center for Contemporary Non-Objective Art, Brussels http://www.ccnoa.org/

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Recital, Ilona Sagar graduation show, Goldsmith’s College, London Photo by Aeon Rose, Trinity∴Arts Communications Ilona Sagar multimedia artist, born 1985, lives and works in London http:// www.ilonasagar.com/

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Damien Airault? Our mutual awareness of each other began in late 2001. Nantes. I’d not long started the 2001-’02 Cycle Post-Diplome Internationale residency, at the ERBAN (École régionale des beaux-arts de Nantes — since renamed as: École supérieure des beaux-arts de Nantes Métropole / ESBANM). Damien Airault with some other people (I forget if they were a defined or loose collective or team — and I remember so little else — without saying anything against anybody) from École du Magasin, Grenoble. Guests, invited along by 1 of my fellow residents (most probably, Olive Martin; or less likely — but possible, Christine Laquet?), they spoke to myself and the other residents, in our ateliers and sometime living-spaces, at 3 Rue de la Commune (opposite the Mairie / town-hall), Nantes. Trying to define what Damien Airault actually does? The nearest to any label or category would have to be (art / cultural / maybe social etc) theoretician, critic, writer and curator. He’s certainly able and prepared to progress and move on, whilst also being consistent — as well as somehow exercising the utmost rationale and pragmatism; a difficult and therefore commendable task to undertake and accomplish. Perhaps, like many or all others, Damien Airault’s mission could well be his own solo journey or his part of some mass-quest, as equally focused and attaining as uncertain and indeterminate. What I found unmissable so long ago and still stays memorable to me now about Damien Airault, was myself being struck and impressed by his striking and impressive sheer drive and enthusiasm; always distinctly visible and ever-present; physical energy and personal charisma; driven and enthusiastic himself, driving and enthusing of others. Speaking and working with Damien Airault over the years always reminds me of his unique angle, thinking, insight and vision. In addition to my respect for Damien Airault’s limitless and explosive interests and activities (serious, intellectual and unobvious— but never lacking meaning, purpose, humour, play and fun or eventual accessibility!), I can never deny or ignore his deliberate effort (unless its some super / natural power!), to find out about, truly know, consider and comprehend what and who ever he dislikes, finds fault with or rejects, artwise or whatever. Whether that’s a policy or quality, such an attribute is rare, yet much needed, in far too many people. Douglas Park

“The Teufelsgroup”, The Rest of Now, curated by RAQS Media Collective, Manifesta 7, various locations, Bolzano

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Work-in-progress stages of By Accident, Kurt Ryslavy, 2009 wine list, De Wijn / Le Vin, Brussels

Columbo Eats Columbo, film, Anthony Gross, London “Recreational Servitude / Heavy-Duty Leisure”, on Daniel Dewar & Gregory Gicquel pages, in Textes / Texts, anthology, Editions Lœvenbruck, Paris Daniel Dewar, born Forest of Dean 1976, Gregory Gicquel, born St Brieuc 1975, both live and work in Paris and Brussels http://www.loevenbruck.com/

Anthony Gross, digital-media artist and curator, born London 1968, lives and works in London. http://www.mrgross.com/

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A WALK IN THE PARK The question is whether you know Douglas or not. It’s a question I ask myself because in my films I know him and know he is being him and know that he is not acting. Douglas is performing a role but it will always be “Douglas performing a role”, so if you don't know him, does it read as an acted performance, and if you do know him, does it read as Douglas. It’s a question because in my films with Douglas I don’t actually want him to be Douglas I want him to be Columbo, but I have to imagine not knowing him so that I can imagine him as Columbo. But I can't, because I know him. So I have to hope that others, who don’t know him, will see him as Columbo. But what about others who know him — will they see him as Douglas or as Columbo? Now, you could say: wouldn’t this apply to any actor you might know personally? The answer is no — because this is Douglas. It’s special. I have another friend, he’s an Actor. Well, he’s meant to be a “professional actor”, and this is what he does “for a living”, but between you and me he isn’t actually very good. He thinks he is but he isn’t. Maybe he could be one day. But he is available and willing. Which is always good. So when I use him I have to carefully think about the performance he could do, versus just how he is, what I know and what I imagine someone else might know or doesn’t. Which is not possible. With Douglas it is different — there is something there in him which is more interesting than the role. Which I like a lot and work with and respect and Douglas has been a good friend. I certainly don’t want to be exploitative i.e. to use people for being them rather than for their acting skills. But it is both. It’s about interface with the world. It’s meta. Unlike most people who worry about logic, I welcome contradiction. I in fact find they can very happily co-exist and sit alongside each other and even dance together in the fine moonlight. Contradiction is actually more important than truth or logic because they create impossibility in the human mind. I love that. It has the effect of a black hole or the Big Bang: ok so you located the very millisecond of the big bang… right… so what happened just before then when there was nothing? I met Douglas Park because the father of my then girlfriend taught him art… this is a long time ago, 25 years? I thought Douglas might have a photographic memory as he could refer to every participant of every show, the work, dates, who they then worked with and so on in incredible detail and recounted it all in a semi-sardonic rant that could accelerate. Endlessly fascinating, but a touch one-sided as I could never

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pull facts like that out of my butt. But Douglas never judged me. I feel art saved his life. It might not be for me to say that but that’s what I feel. I am really glad Douglas does art and negotiates his writing, performance, readings, and himself, as a “character” or “cipher”. Maybe he is the Matrix. In fact, Douglas has had so much influence he might not even know. He has probably has a better art career than me. (smiley face). What interests me is Morphability versus The Absolute. i.e. can one define someone, can one ever know what they are. The answer is no of course but more interesting is to embrace a morphability. Maybe knowing someone for so long as one grows oneself is influencing. So as I looked at Douglas in, say, 2004, and said to him my god you would make a good Columbo, it was 6 years later did I actually enact that. While enacting that I thought, my god you would make a good Marcel Broodthears, because…, well because it suddenly occurred to me that Columbo and Broodthears kind of look the same and dress the same and this makes even more sense with Douglas. So I made a new piece with Douglas as them both at the same time — Immersion Test — a new morph of all three. This is all in my head — (live in my head) — and now the morphing transformations, thanks to Douglas — are what fascinate me in my work… I used an actor in Detroit who looked like Sipowicz from NYPD Blue, and I imagine a new detective, a design detective called Joe Columbo. I dream of shooting a Columbo audition film in LA and Douglas needs to be there with 20 more Douglas look-a-like Columbos. I wanted to re-enact a scene from Bladerunner in Seoul with Douglas as the cop in the raincoat. But is that about raincoats or about Douglas I don’t know anymore. To finish this film with a song and dance: I had a dinner party once after a long film shoot and at the end of the night Douglas pulled out his mobile phone, looked at it and said “oh, can I read out a text?”, and we all said “sure”. He put down the phone and took out a book and read for 20 mins. Anthony Gross

Anthony Gross (born 1968) is an artist based in London and Detroit. He studied at Goldsmiths making digital animation and film work installation. He has shown internationally including Pompidou Centre, FACT Liverpool, MOCA Detroit, Moca Shanghai and the ICA London. Whilst investigating digital and film alter-realities he has also set up a number of physical artist infrastructures in London including temporarycontemporary, the old police station, Cartel and Enclave.

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It was way back in either 1991 or 1992 when myself and were introduced, by his girlfriend at the time, who I knew through her father, a printmaking tutor (during my mostly unexposed and eventually abandoned visual art days — that nonetheless to some extent inform my present and ongoing almost / semi / non “career”). Even then (just before his graduation, from Bartlett architecture school, London, under Peter Cook’s tutelage), was already heavily preoccupied with underlying causes behind design and media as well as their implications, including relationships they have with the human and social, but also new production and telecommunications technology, which he addressed in his work, as he still continues to do now. Although it wasn’t until 1997 before we were to work together. Only by then, I’d mostly quit kidding myself about being an artist (despite often misleading others to such effect). This invitation or opportunity came about coincidentally, because both Simon (“Sid”) Hedges (director of London’s 30 Underwood Street Arts — arts organization and venue) and Ciara Ennis (in the 1st year of Royal College of Art’s recently founded curation course) were each keen that I write a supportive press release accompanying Ciara Ennis’ Houseworks group exhibition (amongst the exhibitors, actually involved in Houseworks — also the main or only one with whom I discussed and consulted the project). Independent (and in-spite-of!) the Royal College of Art’s curation course, Ciara Ennis’ Houseworks desperately attempted and strove an oppositional attack and hopeful defeat against supposed difference and estrangement between art and design, another major concern seemingly being public and impersonal and domestic and private experience (hence the name, Houseworks). I found myself contending with and using the brief that Ciara Ennis issued to Houseworks selected contributors, which I stretched and spun out into otherwise descriptive, explanatory and critical backup information, doing my utmost to render it passable as a more scholarly and heavyweight essay. Despite myself choosing not to even indirectly mention or merely reference names or works of anybody involved (I just cited a chronological list of some historical figures and groups as “for instance” examples), the word Houseworks infests my 3 shrinking paragraphs ad nauseam (similar to here!); while at one stage, the sponsor’s name (Habitat®) cheekily flashes up, serving as most of the word, “(co)habitat-e”! Finally, somehow or other, my efforts ended up phrased and coming across like an aggressive yet idealistic manifesto, leftover from some bygone historical age long since past. Since Houseworks, and I have also appeared alongside each other and collaborated as part of: The Manchurian Candidate, group

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exhibition, curated by Ciara Ennis & David Goldenberg, Flexible Response / ESP / Homeless H.Q, London, 1999; myself assisting and Jen Wu with their Temporary contemporary initiative and space in early 00’s London — where I 1st saw a work I’d earlier written about; in 2006, and Jen Wu chose me to be in Metropolis Rise: New Art from London, U.K art survey CQL Design Center, Shanghai, touring to Dashanzi 798 Art District, Beijing — with my “Cataractivation”, statements, “Policy” and “Apology” texts — as well as some promotional material reproduced, in the accompanying book of same name, temporarycontemporary / Arts Council England / Article Press, London, also, 2006 — sadly, I didn’t attend in person; was of the many who accepted my and The Reverend Marc Vaulbert De Chantilly’s offer to exhibit in Spectre vs. Rector, black box wunderkammer curio-cabinet salon — about the occult and supernatural, M. R. James and horror, Mark E. Smith and The Fall, at Ingrid Z’s Residence Gallery, London, 2007; from 2009 onwards, has stereotypecast me as a “Columbo” personage, featured or even starring in moving image works, so far 2009’s Columbo Eats Columbo, then next year Kane's Revolution of 2010 — also with live event, and in 2011 Immersion Test — Black Hole Scenario / after Jardin d' Hiver 1974 by Marcel Broodthaers (becoming “Columbroodthaers”!); maybe more will happen in the future. Douglas Park

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Marcel, film, “Collectif Marcel” (various directors), Komplot, Brussels

“Text-based interventions”, A Demised Premise, live event, curated by Richard Crow & Lucia Farinati, Institution of Rot, London Lucia Farinati, curator and researcher, born in Rovereto, lives and works in London http://www.soundthreshold.org/

Ancestral Unemployment, film, Michelle Naismith, Brussels

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“FACES” (live potraits): Maria Teresa Gavazzi, REDAKTION — Radical Christmas Event, RED Gallery, London

Live audio / music concert, with Richard Crow, Surreal Nightmares, live event, curated by Robin Spalding, Shunt, London Photo by Richard Crow

reading, “Unbuilding”, Claire Fontaine exhibition reception, Caterina Tognon Arte Contemporanea, Venice, 2010 http://www. caterinatognon.com/fontaine2010.html

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2011

Kane’s Revolution, film, Anthony Gross, London

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“Liquid Map”, in Lies, edited by Emma Dwan O’Reilly & Keef Winter, Allotrope / University of Ulster http://www.allotropepress.com/

Derange in London, photograph sequence, Monika K. Adler, London Immersion Test — Black Hole Scenario / after ‘Jardin d’ Hiver 1974 by Marcel Broodthærs, videowork, Anthony Gross

Monika K. Adler, film director and photographer, born in Poland, lives and works in London http://monika-k-adler.tumblr.com/

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Written text & spoken soundtrack voiceover commentary, L’éclipse de l’âme, videowork, Jan Mast, Ghent and Waregem Jan Mast, multidisciplinary artist and designer, born Ekeren 1980 http://www.bepartlive.org/

Recital, The Poltroon, literary salon, presented by Orlando Harrison, The Betsey Trotwood, London Photo by Kim Kim Gallery Orlando Harrison, London based and active musician and performer, member of band, Alabama 3 http://www.alabama3.co.uk/ http://www.poltroon.org.uk/

Various contributions, Year, almanac, various editors, Komplot, Brussels / Motto, Berlin

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NOT WANTING TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT Douglas Park: Rambles and recollections (some fragments) Late winter / early Spring 1998. Douglas Park and I are taking part in the shoot for Mark Aerial Waller’s Glow boys in Hoxton (we sort of meet in the canteen scene, but this is not the first time I have seen Douglas Park, maybe it’s the first time we spoke, I doubt it somehow, Douglas Park will of course remember other occasions, I’m sure). We share some obscure quips, and some grub, I don’t remember what, maybe pie and chips. I remark that he looks like Jack Nance (it’s a veiled compliment of sorts). Douglas has a speaking role, I’m just an extra, eating and drinking, Mark E. Smith is the Caterer, he hands out the chips, we all get on really well (Fuck’n hell! This is the man who sang, Bingo-Master’s Break-Out!). Later on, at the Electricity Showroom, Rut Blees Luxemburg takes one too many pics of Mark E. Smith. Lots of banter and much to recount… October – November 1998. Douglas Park invites me to contribute to his curated show for the Attache Gallery, Grapeshot Bullseye Harvest, “a database of meaning around a distinct centre” (“to contribute no more than one A6 / 6 BY 4.25 inches” — it was Douglas Park who gave me the canvas). I respond with one of my “brown period” paintings (1996 – 98). Douglas Park writes lovingly: “Richard Crow/Institution of Rot. Artwork resembles some forensic relic and the title could be a line from a hymn or prayer — “Who in spirit of a new disease always shall travel on” Objet trouvé / arte matiere relief with accompanying recitable text from The Patient, by Austrian schizophrenic writer, Ernst Herbeck (Alexander) — hence title. A fractured unorthodox mirror (token of private misfortune — possibly identity crisis — and yet even empowerment) defectively shines and reflects amidst a brown debris swamp (Abject pathetitude, waste and decay — soil or manure garden / farm nourishment — healing medicine — fuel-phoenix out of the ashes-dormant regenerative energy storage)”. It was around this time that Douglas Park started calling me “Richard Creep”. After I’d mentioned to him David Cunningham (Flying Lizards etc) christened me with that name, perhaps or undoubtedly referring to my veiled erotic interest in the artist / film maker, Karen Mirza (no.w.here etc). In fact, I believe that the cracked mirror in the work was found at the RCA, where said artist was studying. Perhaps, the work “The Patient” is a touchstone to our “serial collaboration”… 23 August 2004. Douglas Park enters the Institution of Rot for the first time, as a (self) recording artist, as a medical voice / the voice as an instrument. He’d responded enthusiastically to my phone call, email or text message. I had been invited to contribute to the CD / book, Soundworks — For Those That Have Ears (Art Trail Publications, Cork,

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2005). I had seen Douglas Park reciting his texts at Club Esther (and elsewhere), and I was particularly taken with ‘Human Shield’ at Club Esther, and imagined that this piece would work well with an unshielded piezoelectric contact microphone on the unshaven throat and a background rumbling of low frequencies… I wanted it for my research on “(Imaginary) Hospital Radio”. As far as I recall, the recording of the text was done in just one take, with the contact microphone directly injected into the recording device, where the Douglas Park voice both embodies and dis-embodies the lines (learned by rote?), “slotted insertion, underlay mask implant” etc… Richard Crow

2012

Douglasism, Kim Kim Gallery, Art:Gwangju:12 art fair, Gwangju “Douglasistic Democracy” Kim Kim Gallery, text and poster design by Jonathan Lahey Dronsfield

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here is but one democracy. But democracy is doubled. Because there is schism at the heart of democracy. That schism is the constant threat to emocracy of being reduced to democratism. It is a necessary threat, and he threat is also the chance. The threat to democracy which is at the ame time its chance is its own principle: that everyone in a democracy as the right to criticise it. Criticise everything about it, including this rinciple and the law on which it is founded but which in truth it founds. nd if it seems to us that art is the space in which such criticism is arried out to more effect than in the political system called democracy t is because politics is the reduction of democracy to democratism. or this reason we must be wary when face-to-face with political art nd vigilant not to allow art to claim the political for itself. Because rt then loses the right to say anything. Democracy is the most open olitical paradigm, but it is not simply open. Its openness is doubled. It s doubled because art takes something away from democracy and in aking away gives it a space it would not otherwise have. Art withdraws omething of democracy’s openness and opens it elsewhere. Art’s emocraticness is thus not coextensive with the democracy it is drawn rom. Nor Democracy’s self-critical questioning with the self questioned. onathan Lahey Dronsfield, ‘Douglasistic Democracy’, Kim Kim Gallery, rt:gwangju:12.

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Douglasism is a set of words exchanged for works it wants to become without being indiscernible from them. A becoming not before or less Douglas Park Biobibliography 221 2012 than work but a specific kind of work. Work without work. This would be the schism in the ism Douglas. To have ismated a name lacking a proper body, to have mated that name with an impossible ism, to have founded a practice on a subject as much subject to work as subject of it, is to have created a headless figure whose words emerge wayward everywhere allover ordered by no hierarchies structured by no oppositions. With the cul-de-sacing of the avant-garde there are no longer any isms in art. We all know that. Even those who can reach to the bottom of the bag. Especially them. Especially those who reach to the bottom of the bag by pulling the sack over their own heads. The ones who pull the sack over their own heads to reach right to the bottom of the sack with their own heads know more than anyone about the end of the avant-garde. Douglasism knows this. Douglasism knows that it is not about there being nothing but a no through road, but that all roads are through roads, all more or less temporary, heading not to a final destination but away from the head, heading away from the head to specific or differential fermata and stopovers.

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2013

“Crime-Scene Interior-Décor Vista & Forensic-Evidence Merchandise Reliquaries” and “Conversation” with Daniel Dewar (English / French, translated by Eloise Roch), in The Magic Porridge Pot, group publication, edited by Daniel Dewar & Hendrik Hegray, Les Ateliers des Arques, Les Arques

“A nigh-on compulsory cliché”, photography and videowork, Oan Kim, London and Paris Oan Kim, photographer, musician and video artist, born Paris 1974, lives and works in Paris http://oankim.com/

Douglas Park Notepad, 2013, London Photo by Kim Kim Gallery

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La légende comme source

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Parfois, lorsqu’on navigue dans les eaux de l’art, une question inattendue nous arrive à l’oreille, remplaçant l’habituelle « Que fait cet artiste ? » par un « C’est qui ce mec ? ». Douglas Park a fait basculer les réflexes interrogatifs. Car ici la balance hésite en permanence et doucement entre la personne et la pratique. Douglas Park est un artiste anglais, vivant dans le sud de Londres. Il est peut-être dans le top dix des artistes les plus connus de la scène londonienne, bien que, précisément, on ne sache pas précisément ce qu’il fait, ce qui ne préoccupe personne, car c’est, en l’occurrence, une mauvaise question. Entre la mascotte et le socializer à l’américaine, associée d’érudition frénétique, Douglas Park est celui qui cherche à sortir des travers qui font de lui un personnage. Connaissant ce que personne ne connaît (par goût, par luxe ou par devoir civique on ne sait pas), il est devenu l’encyclopédie vivante des pratiques les plus obscures: amateurs, fous en tous genres, œuvres perdues et disloquées, groupes improbables, scandales étouffés, parias, professionnels hors catégories, qui consituent une deuxième histoire de l’art, non pas que cette histoire alternative souhaite aspirer à de quelconques lettres de noblesses, mais plutôt parce qu’elle est le terrain méconnu sur lequel se forme l’indispensable et grande Histoire de l’Art. Douglas Park est le connaisseur des « artistes pour artistes », ceux dont, parce qu’ils passent sous les radars de l’académie, on imite, dans certains cas, les meilleures idées. Il devient aussi le défenseur de nouveaux rôles, ceux qui, ne suivant pas avec orthodoxie les clous d’une carrière artistique, deviennent, par façon d’être et parfois par accident, des agitateurs. Récitateur d’anecdotes et d’épisodes capitaux de l’histoire de l’art moderne, à n’en plus finir, il poursuit inlassablement une double quête d’évangélisation à la cause de l’art et au récit. Ces lectures frôlent avec la fiction, le moment où l’événement vrai rejoint la création artistique en évitant la neutralité documentaire. Ce qui est adjacent prend alors une place centrale. La légende est sa source. Et les individus valent autant que les objets, les moments et les actions prévalent sur les lieux, et donc, pour reprendre une formule connue, l’art se confond avec la vie. Il faut donc être exemplaire. En prêcheur expérimenté et obsédé par le détail, Douglas est entouré de fidèles supporters et en profite pour agir avec de multiples groupes déterminés et indéterminés, des groupes comme ceux qu’il a dans la tête. Il prendra le rôle de l’acteur, du performer ou du critique d’art, et deviendra, comme dans chacune de ses collaborations une mémoire vivante et fiable de l’action collective. Il est celui qui ajoute, en apportant avec modestie une personnalité

comme symbole visible et en faisant dévier ce qu’on lui propose. De portrait, de lui-même et d’autres personnes, il est toujours question avec Douglas Park. Mais les dizaines et les dizaines de portraits qu’on a fait de lui, les hommages, forment un ensemble s’agrandissant qui cache les particularités d’un prose et d’un style omniprésent. Constituées de ricochets, mobiles et divagantes, les performances de Douglas sont les cours de celui qui a vécu l’histoire en direct et retranscrit, conteur surdocumenté, un ensemble hallucinatoire de sensations et de faits. L’adepte de la parenthèse et de l’insert, des déclinaisons de mots et d’évènements historiques, l’homme fasciné pouvant encore tout savoir dire et tout dire, reste un modèle, dans sa capacité à transformer en forme plastique absolument tout, du mot à l’image, ce qui lui tombe sous la main et entre les oreilles. Damien Airault Paris

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When wandering in the world of art, we sometimes hear an unexpected question, in place of the usual “What does this artist do?”: “Who is this guy?” Douglas Park toppled over all interrogative reflexes. Because here, we are constantly hesitating — though gently — between the person and his practice. Douglas Park is an artist from England, living in South London. He may well be in the top ten of the most famous artists of the London scene, though nobody quite knows exactly what it is he does; yet nobody seems to care, because in Douglas Park's case, it is a wrong question. Standing somewhere in-between the mascot and the Americanstyle socializer, combined with a frenzy for erudition, Douglas Park is always striving to get out of what makes him a character. Knowing what nobody knows (by taste, luxury or civic duty, who knows), he became the living encyclopedia of the darkest practices: amateurs, lunatics of all kinds, lost works and dislocated pieces, improbable groups, stifled scandals, outcasts, professionals outside categories, all that which constitute a second Art history. It is not that this alternative history aspirates to any pedigree, but it is because it is the unknown land upon which develops the essential and great Art History. Douglas Park is an expert on “artists for artists,” those whom, because they pass unrevealed by the academia, we imitate, in some cases, with their best ideas. He also became an advocate for new roles, for those who become, by way of being and sometimes by accident, agitators because they do not walk with orthodoxy the path of an artistic career. Reciting endlessly anecdotes and major episodes of the history of modern art, he tirelessly pursues a dual quest of evangelization in the name of both art and storytelling. These readings graze with fiction, this instant when an event, true as it may be, joins artistic creation and thus avoids documentary neutrality. What is adjacent becomes central. Legend is its source. And individuals are worth as much as the objects, moments and actions prevail over the scene, and therefore, to use an old formula, art merges with life. Each of our actions should then be exemplary. As an experienced preacher obsessed with details, Douglas is surrounded by loyal supporters, which give him the opportunity to act with multiple groups of all kinds, groups like the ones he has in his mind. He will be the actor, the performer or the art critic, and will become, as in each of his collaborations, a living and reliable memory of collective action. With modesty, he brings in a personality as a visible symbol, and deflects what he is given to work with. With Douglas Park, it is always a matter of portraying himself and others. But the dozens and dozens of portraits that were made of him, all the tributes, constitute an ever-

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expanding whole that hides the peculiarities of a style omnipresent. Consisting of bounces, mobile and scavenging, the performances of Douglas tell the story of one who lived History live as well as transcribed, of a storyteller over-documented, a hallucinatory set of sensations and facts. With a taste for brackets and inserts, for variations of words and historical events, the fascinated man can still know everything and say it all, standing as a model in its ability to transform into plastic forms absolutely everything, from word to image, that falls under his hands and between the ears. Damien Airault Translated by Simon Kim

기원으로서의 전설

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기원으로서의 전설

예술계를 떠돌다 보면, 우리는 종종 “이 작가는 무슨 작업을 합니까?”라는 질문

역사를 경험한 사람의 이야기를 들려준다. 그것은 철저하게 사실에 입각한 이야기꾼의

대신에 “이 사람 누구예요?”라는 의외의 질문을 듣는다. 우리는 여전히 작가라는

이야기이며 감각과 사실의 환각적인 조합이다. 단어들과 역사적 사건들을 묶고

‘사람’과 ‘작업’ 사이에서 갈팡질팡하고 있지만 더글러스 파크는 이 반사적인 질문들을

삽입하고 변주하기를 즐기는 더글러스 파크는 여전히 모든 것을 알 수 있고 말할 수

일축해버린다. 더글러스 파크는 런던에 살고 있는 영국인이며, 그의 작업에 대해 잘

있는 열정적인 사람이며, 말에서 이미지까지 자신에게 주어지는 모든 것을 조형해내는

아는 사람은 비록 얼마 없지만 런던 미술계에서 가장 유명한 작가 열 명 안에 꼽힐 수

능력으로 우리에게 본보기가 되어주는 예술가다.

있는 사람이다. 그러나 이에 대해 신경 쓰는 사람은 아무도 없는 듯하다. 더글러스 파크의 경우, 이 질문은 적합하지 않기 때문이다. 마스코트와 아메리칸 스타일의 사교계 인사, 그 사이 어딘가에 서 있는 더글러스 파크는 자신을 그저 캐릭터로 만들어버리는 무언가로부터 벗어나기 위해 늘 분투한다. 그 수단은 바로 무지막지한 박식함이다. (취향, 사치, 혹은 시민으로서의 의무감 때문이었는지) 아무도 모르는 것들을 다 알고 있다 보니, 그는 가장 어두운 것들에 대한 살아 있는 백과사전이 되었다. 아마추어들, 온갖 미치광이들, 분실된 작품들, 어긋난 조각, 희한한 그룹, 비밀로 부쳐져 온 스캔들, 부랑자, 분야를 딱히 정할 수 없는 전문가들 등 제2 의 미술사를 구성하는 모든 것들에 대한 백과사전 말이다. 이 대안적인 미술사에 대한 더글러스 파크의 집착은 그것을 어떻게든 족보에 올리고 싶은 욕구 때문이 아니다. 그건 바로 위대한 미술사, 전통적인 미술사가 바로 이 미지의 땅 위에서 전개되었기 때문이다. 더글러스 파크의 전문 분야는 ‘예술가를 위한 예술가’다. 그 예술가들은 학계가 발굴하지 않았기 때문에, 어떤 경우에 우리는 그들의 최고의 아이디어를 모방하기도 한다. 그는 또한, 커리어를 정석대로 밟지 않아(존재의 방식 때문이거나 가끔은 그저 우연히) 운동가가 되어버린 자들에게 새로운 역할을 주어야 한다고 주장한다. 그는 끝없이 현대 미술사의 주요 에피소드나 일화를 낭독하며 예술과 스토리텔링이라는 두 이름 아래, 이중의 선교 활동을 수행하고 있다. 그의 낭독은 사실과 허구의 경계를 끊임없이 넘나들고, 이 순간, 실제로 일어났을 수도 있는 어떤 사건은 예술적인 창조와 결합하며 다큐멘터리의 중립성과 결별한다. 인접한 것이 중심이 된다. 전설은 그 기원이다. 인간들이 사물과 동급이 되고, 순간과 행위가 전체적인 맥락보다 중시된다. 그리하여, 옛말에도 있듯, 예술은 삶과 합쳐진다. 우리의 행동 하나하나가 본보기가 될 수 있다. 세부적인 것에 집착하는 노련한 설교자인 더글러스 파크는 충성도 높은 지지자들로 둘러싸여 있다. 이 덕에 여러 종류의 그룹, 자기가 생각하는 그룹과 같이 활동할 수 있는 기회를 얻는다. 그는 배우, 연기자, 미술 평론가가 될 수 있다. 협업을 펼칠 때마다 그 자신이 집단 활동에 대한 살아 있는 기록, 신뢰할 만한 기록이 될 것이다. 그는 겸손하게 자신의 성격을 또렷한 상징으로 삼고, 작업의 소재로 주어진 것들을 피해버린다. 더글러스 파크에 있어, 문제는 항상 자신과 타인을 묘사하는 것이다. 찬사를 담아 그가 그려낸 수많은 초상들은 보편적인 스타일의 특수성을 숨기며 영원히 확장하는 총체가 된다. 도약으로 구성되는 더글러스 파크의 퍼포먼스는 빠르게 움직이고 끝없이 탐색하며, 역사를 실제로 살아낸 사람, 뿐만 아니라 기록으로

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