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THE CURATOR LIFTING-RUNNING COMPETITION

Process story by Colonel / description text of the film : Line Rosenvinge

THE CURATOR LIFTING-RUNNING COMPETITION portrays the 'system' of art biennials in general - not only the Venice Biennial per se. All big art events appear open and accessible to the public, but biennials and festivals follow a number of hidden - but strict - mechanisms in the battle to strengthen ones network. There is a sharp contrast between the cultural events promoting visibility and all the hidden exchanges of information between the people involved.

The starting point for the film project is a competition during the opening of the Venice Biennial 2003 on Friday June 14th at 5pm, where the artists formed a pair with their favourite curators and ran with them on their back. It is a race! The artists are tied to the hierarchy - both symbolically and literally - they are the arms and legs of the organizers (nanus positus super humeros gigantis). At the same time, the difference between superstars and underdogs are emphasized.

Of course a large cultural event is about culture, but a primary motivation is also to create a club for the players. Anyone can buy a ticket, but coincidently there are secret, closed parties and people are truth stretching to hold on to their privileges. Colonel's film shows the underlying activities that let people be snobby or humble. In the process of promoting the curator lifting-running competition, a number of internationally recognized cultural players are portrayed. The process demands Colonel to be chasing invitations for the most sought-after parties to use them as the competition's 1st prize. It all seems so cosy, so casual and cool, but really it is tough business.

It begins already in the plane from Denmark, where the cultural industry's clique just happens to have booked the same flight. It could look like a charter trip but some are in 1st class while others are flying coach as one obvious difference. Already here, Colonel is running around handing out flyers about the THE CURATOR LIFTING-RUNNING COMPETITION. Colonel is already well into his recruitment effort to find participants for the competition among all the people sitting buckled up. Most would rather not deal with the absurd project and their - very different - reactions are filmed closely.

Having arrived in Venice, Colonel continues his effort to involve the press corp, so that they feel an obligation to promote the planned event. During the opening of an event like the Venice Biennial more than 3000 members of the press from around the World arrive and have to line up for hours in the hot sun to get their free tickets. In this situation, they are vulnerable so Colonel is promoting his event and filming the reactions.

There is still a battle on visibility. International cultural events have a megalomanious growth. In Venice, the art is not limited to the exhibition pavilions but it spreads around the city and screams for attention. No visitors can see everything - it is downright impossible. How should people be able to experience the art and report about it under such stressful circumstances?

With this project, Colonel has a explicit mandate to find people and engage them - not just as participants but also as viewers of the project.

Colonel purposely does not use a camera man. He has various strangers film the situations that occur. Hereby they become witnesses - but also accomplices - in the process of revealing the hidden mechanisms of the cultural event.

Colonel is using micro port when handing out the camera to other people as a guarantee for the technical quality. This lends the perspective of others, i.e. a female Swedish museum director acts on Colonel's encouragement to function as a camera man during Colonel's interviewing of a hotshot curator. But she becomes insecure and rejecting, when she realizes the situation which is all caught on camera.

It is easy to be taken in by this innocent project, but when Colonel has passed the camera on to the more or less random passers-by on location, their own position in the cultural event's hierarchy is revealed. As an overly enthusiastic arranger, Colonel uses all methods to engage people in the process of THE CURATOR LIFTING-RUNNING COMPETITION, and the film shootings creates situations that document what we do not normally see at cultural event such as the Venice Biennial.

chasing curators

chasing parties

curator lifting position