Station.

With the opening of OPEN-ENDED (the art of engagement) just a few days away, the exhibition’s first component is nearly complete. Called untitled 2005 (demo station no. 5), Rirkrit Tiravanija’s spiral-shaped installation was inspired by Austrian designer Friedrich Kiesler’s theatrical “space-stage” of the 1920s. But the performers in this case will be visitors to the gallery who will use the space during open-mic nights and performances, a fashion show and artist talks. The piece will also house a video booth (a video version of a fotomat booth) by filmmaker Spencer Nakasako. Visitors can choose to respond to questions in front of a camera, and their responses will be fed into a video jukebox and randomly played on the screen. (The galleries will also host a series of Thai and Chinese experimental films.)

“Stations” have appeared in Tiravanija’s work many times, from TV and radio stations to the title of a section of the 2003 Venice Biennale he co-curated called Utopia Station. The first of Tiravanija’s stations was installed at Portikus in Frankfurt, Germany, in 2001; it hosted a range of events including a series of “cooking battles” (Daniel Birnbaum vs. Udo Kittelmann! Frankfurt vs. Glasgow!) and was the temporary home to the editorial offices of Tiravanija’s magazine oVer (the goings-on were broadcast online at SuperChannel.org). As a metaphor, Tiravanija’s stations are simply temporary stopping points where people can come and… do things, sort of like a craft table crossed with a train platform. “We are part of a process and the station is on the move; the presentation in Venice is a starting point for more stations to appear. We are not looking for success or failure but a discussion which can flow into the future, to future station, to possibilities,” he said of Utopia Station.

Choreographer Ralph Lemon is also here installing his component of the show, an installation adapted from the final performance of his Geography trilogy, Come home Charley Patton. These three artists, who have been part of past artist residencies, will present these works against a backdrop of art created by other artists-in-residence, including Catherine Opie and Sam Durant.

Meet Tiravanija, Nakasako, and Lemon at an opening-day event on Saturday, March 25, from 1 to 4 pm. Tiravanija will be in dialogue with writer Bruce Sterling tomorrow night.