Contingent practice: contemporary methods in art process dependent on architecture of the exhibition space

The white cube exhibition model creates a one-sided relationship to the architecture in which it is applied. By placing works inside the white cube, the artwork is validated in its public reception as art—in effect, the white cube is a tautological space. Key to this process is that the white cube removes the essential features of its architectural form. Within this white cube exhibition model, it is no longer acknowledged as architecture, but as a sort of non-place that relies on artwork for validation as a place. There is a history of artists who leave—or never enter—the white cube exhibition model, but in the art world, it has become so ubiquitous that to work outside of its structure is an intentional decision and an oppositional position. In this history, artists, in a broad sense, choose to make site-specific works or interact with the outside environment with the intention that the viewer will gain more from experiencing the entire effect that the artist has constructed. In this method, artists are able to tightly control the viewing experience and incorporate specific elements of the environment into the artwork itself. ❧ In order for an artwork to be experienced by a viewer, it needs to be exhibited in some capacity. This is a widely known fact, but is important to consider when analyzing the impact of an artwork. There are limited ways of engaging with the traditional elements of the white cube exhibition space. These primarily consist of presenting works on a wall, pedestal, or on the floor. The benefit of this model is the ability for works to have the same impact in many different settings because each of these galleries would have a similar layout and available wall space. The works that fit this method of exhibition are generally known and thought of as autonomous art objects. ❧ Beyond these opposing methods of working, there is another historically developed process influential in the way some contemporary artists conceive of and produce work. This process incorporates elements of the white cube / autonomous object exhibition model along with tendencies associated with site-specific artwork, but ultimately do not comfortably fit into either category. These are artworks that are presented within a white cube exhibition model, but incorporate specific architectural elements into the conception of the work. Unlike site-specific work, these works are not specific to the individual space in which it is shown. Rather they are contingent with the architecture of the exhibition space and are produced to be adaptable to each space’s unique architecture. In this thesis I will refer to this these works as Contingent Practice.