The Change Room

Research Background: Across contemporary art and architecture, "relational" approaches are being increasingly explored as a way to depart from more hermetic ideas about the authorship, agency and social engagement of creative work. Largely, 'relational' approaches assume that multiple people participate in the durational development of the work. 'The Change Room' was one component of Stitching Time, by Prof. Erin Manning, produced for the 18th Biennale of Sydney. Manning's "relational architecture" invited people to produce garments with and in a vast display of sewn fabric fragments, which had been produced though an international network of sewing circles. The Change Room was a relatively private enclosure within a large, open and busy space, where people could change their clothes if required. Research Contribution: Design production began with a given material system, designed by Ednie-Brown for a 2009 installation to evoke a scalelessness, ambiguous/blurred boundary conditions, and an ambience of the indefinite - qualitatively similar to clouds. A small group engaged with this system in helping to develop the composition of the Change Room. When exhibited, the room was a relatively static entity that was not intended to be physically altered in the way the rest of Stitching Time invited. This produced a productive tension, offering a counterpoint to explicit, physical engagement while operating 'relationally' in spatial and aesthetic ways. Its contribution lies in reconsidering relational approaches in terms of both environments and aesthetics, rather than the explicitly participatory. Research Significance: The Sydney Biennale is an important international art event. In 2012 it achieved 665,488 visits across all venues. Prof. Manning, University Research Chair, Faculty of Fine Arts (Concordia Uni), is a significant, international renowned figure across art, philosophy and dance. The 18th Biennale (2012) received significant coverage in national media.

研究背景：在当代艺术与建筑领域，“关系性方法（relational approaches）”正日益受到探索，成为摆脱创意作品在作者身份、能动性及社会参与方面更封闭理念的一种途径。大体而言，关系性方法假定多人参与作品的历时性发展过程。“更衣间（The Change Room）”是艾琳·曼宁教授（Prof. Erin Manning）为第18届悉尼双年展创作的《缝合时间》（Stitching Time）的组成部分之一。曼宁的“关系性建筑（relational architecture）”邀请人们利用大量展示的缝制面料碎片制作服装，这些碎片由一个国际性的缝纫圈网络制作而成。更衣间是一个大型、开放且繁忙空间内相对私密的围合区域，供人们在需要时更换服装。

研究贡献：设计制作始于一个特定的材料系统，该系统由埃德尼-布朗（Ednie-Brown）为2009年的一个装置作品设计，旨在唤起无尺度感、模糊的边界条件以及一种不确定的氛围——在质性上与云相似。一个小组参与该系统，协助开发更衣间的构成。展出时，该空间是一个相对静态的实体，其设计意图并非如《缝合时间》其他部分那样允许物理上的改变。这产生了一种富有成效的张力，在以空间和美学方式发挥“关系性”作用的同时，为显性的物理参与提供了一种对位。其贡献在于从环境与美学双重视角重新思考关系性方法，而非局限于显性的参与性维度。

研究意义：悉尼双年展是重要的国际艺术活动，2012年其所有场馆的参观人数达665,488人次。曼宁教授是康考迪亚大学美术学院的大学研究主席，是艺术、哲学与舞蹈领域具有国际声誉的重要人物。2012年第18届双年展获得了国内媒体的广泛报道。