Ryan Anthony Bulis
Group Work, 2012
Collaborator Chris Silva
Collaborator Alex Bog
Collaborator Erik Sultzer
"Groupwork" was a site-specific, collaborative project in two acts: “The Work” (82 days) and “The Exhibition” (5 days).
"The Work" began by circulating (over email) a call for participation in an open collaborative project. A group of five artists agreed to participate. Over the next 82 days, the group worked (over email) to develop potential directions for the project. By the end of the 82 days, no clear and unifying vision emerged, and few decisions were made.
It was decided that each group member would remain anonymous. It was also decided that "The Exhibition" would begin with each member bringing something into the exhibition space. Documentation of "The Work" was pinned to the wall in the form of letter-sized sheets of paper, one page per email, names redacted. For the duration of "The Exhibition," the gallery was open to the public 24-hours a day. The site was continually used—content could be freely introduced, removed, and/or altered by both the collaborating artists and the viewing public. No rules were articulated governing possible use of the space, although "Groupwork" was advised against altering the floor or ceiling. Over the course of the week, the authorship of each gesture remained seemingly anonymous.