Illusion of the Spectator

“The contemporary art space is a space in which multitudes can view themselves and celebrate themselves… in a way that assists them in reflecting upon their own condition, offering them an opportunity to exhibit themselves to themselves.” — Boris Groys, Going Public, 2010

Are we, as readers and visitors to contemporary art spaces, aware of ourselves? A spectator’s experience of a work of art depends largely on what they bring with them and what they understand about the work. Yet spectators are more than a momentary group moving from one object to another: they are a community.

The position and power of the spectator implied by the work of art has been a central question since Denis Diderot, and has been repeatedly contested, from Roland Barthes’ The Death of the Author to Michael Fried’s call for the passivity of the audience.

As the art world entered a new period of social and political change, the exhibition returned its focus to the spectator Boris Groys described: a self-aware community already conditioned by the art world’s emancipatory and participatory projects. This community had accepted its participatory role, welcomed new authorities, and was ready to reject or accept any denigration offered.

Illusion of the Spectator re-examined the spectator’s position and power by asking what caused this preoccupation with the audience, the artwork and the artist, and whether these new forms of encounter empower or denigrate the audience.

The selected artists created artworks, interventions and projects that used the spectator as a fundamental part of the work in three distinct ways: as participant, as community and as subject matter. These works acted as interlocutors throughout the exhibition.

Artists: Beth Fox, Craig Cooper, Charlotte Norwood, Kate Janes, Maite Zabala, Matthew Stock and Patrick Coyle.

The accompanying publication, Notes on: Illusion of the Spectator, featured contributions from Dave Beech, Sam Basu, Mark Grist, Matthew Stock and Tom Trevatt.