The Weak Force

Full description

Research background: There has been a significant rise in group-based and collective art practice that challenges conventional methodologies and ideas of individual authorship in art. These enterprises approach art as an expanded form of intellectual activity by capitalizing on group dynamics and collective research. Research contribution: The Weak Force was conceived through several months of video conference calls between the participating artists in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the UK. The collaborative research process was premised upon the construction and exhibition of a 'universal gravitational field', which affects the sculptural dimensions of distance, place and time. The artists produced a mixed media installation at Anna Leonowens Gallery, which included a specially programed LED sign, a revolving sculptural platform, DNA information about some of the participating artists and site-specific interventions throughout the gallery space. Research significance: The significance of this research is that group-based practice and networking technology was used to extend and combine the practices of five artists working across four different continents. This resulted in a mixed media installation that explored the unifying force of gravity as a metaphor for interconnectedness.