JOSEPH KOSUTH PROPOSAL FOR BILL GRAHAM CIVIC … · Auditorium with a significant, museum caliber...

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JOSEPH KOSUTH PROPOSAL FOR BILL GRAHAM CIVIC AUDITORIUM Staff Report for April 19, 2017 meeting of the Visual Arts Committee Commissioners: Joseph Kosuth was selected by the Arts Commission in July, 2015 to develop a proposal for the western façade of the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. This project is the first project to be funded through the auspices of the Public Art Trust and coincidentally, is Joseph’s first public art commission to be awarded in the USA. Joseph and his studio staff conducted a significant amount of research to obtain information about this history of the building and its many uses, the various concerts performed when used as a venue by Bill Graham presents, the Civic Center in general, and the numerous important political activities and demonstrations it has hosted. Over the course of several months, he sent his studio staff and fabricator to visit the site, meet with city staff and tour the building. The proposal to be presented to you at the April 19 th meeting of the Visual Arts Committee (VAC) is the culmination of this many month effort. This is a unique project for many reasons. The source of funding is private. Prior to bringing the proposal to the VAC, we had to obtain the permission of the building’s owner, the Department of Real Estate and as well, that of its tenant and operator, Another Planet Entertainment. Because of the building’s stature as a historic landmark, we needed to obtain the approval of the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) prior to bringing the project to the VAC. To accomplish this, we worked closely with HPC staff each step of the way, from incorporating their design guidelines in the RFQ for the project, to having the artist team meet with them periodically and most recently, installing a sampling of the exterior electrical components on the building’s façade to determine whether the HPC staff would have objections. Although we are still required to apply for a Certificate of Appropriateness, we have had a positive response from HPC staff and the process is underway. We also engaged an electrical engineer to determine the feasibility of installing the work given its electrical requirements and to investigate how much of the conduit and transformers could be hidden within the building as opposed to being placed on the building exterior. All of this had to be done as a prerequisite to bringing the project to the VAC for approval. This is not your usual public art project because of all of these external circumstances. Joseph’s proposal is an elegant and intelligent application of his work and aesthetic to the history, purpose and function of the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. The work will be executed in neon with letters ranging from 35.7” to 18.7’. The neon will be turned on from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm daily. Using the words Civic and Auditorium, and having them flank both the north and side sides of his design, he utilizes word etymology to reveal the root of the each of the words. How wonderful to discover that the word “Civic” actually relates to the Old High German phrase of “married couple” and how appropriate to the recent historic milestone of the legalization of Gay Marriage in the San Francisco Civic Center. To provide additional access to the non-English speaking viewers, interpretive plaques in different languages will be installed on the building and placed at the pedestrian level, pending approval from the Historic Preservation Commission.

Transcript of JOSEPH KOSUTH PROPOSAL FOR BILL GRAHAM CIVIC … · Auditorium with a significant, museum caliber...

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JOSEPH KOSUTH PROPOSAL FOR BILL GRAHAM CIVIC AUDITORIUM

Staff Report for April 19, 2017 meeting of the Visual Arts Committee

Commissioners:

Joseph Kosuth was selected by the Arts Commission in July, 2015 to develop a proposal for the western façade of the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. This project is the first project to be funded through the auspices of the Public Art Trust and coincidentally, is Joseph’s first public art commission to be awarded in the USA. Joseph and his studio staff conducted a significant amount of research to obtain information about this history of the building and its many uses, the various concerts performed when used as a venue by Bill Graham presents, the Civic Center in general, and the numerous important political activities and demonstrations it has hosted. Over the course of several months, he sent his studio staff and fabricator to visit the site, meet with city staff and tour the building. The proposal to be presented to you at the April 19th meeting of the Visual Arts Committee (VAC) is the culmination of this many month effort.

This is a unique project for many reasons. The source of funding is private. Prior to bringing the proposal to the VAC, we had to obtain the permission of the building’s owner, the Department of Real Estate and as well, that of its tenant and operator, Another Planet Entertainment. Because of the building’s stature as a historic landmark, we needed to obtain the approval of the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) prior to bringing the project to the VAC. To accomplish this, we worked closely with HPC staff each step of the way, from incorporating their design guidelines in the RFQ for the project, to having the artist team meet with them periodically and most recently, installing a sampling of the exterior electrical components on the building’s façade to determine whether the HPC staff would have objections. Although we are still required to apply for a Certificate of Appropriateness, we have had a positive response from HPC staff and the process is underway. We also engaged an electrical engineer to determine the feasibility of installing the work given its electrical requirements and to investigate how much of the conduit and transformers could be hidden within the building as opposed to being placed on the building exterior. All of this had to be done as a prerequisite to bringing the project to the VAC for approval. This is not your usual public art project because of all of these external circumstances.

Joseph’s proposal is an elegant and intelligent application of his work and aesthetic to the history, purpose and function of the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. The work will be executed in neon with letters ranging from 35.7” to 18.7’. The neon will be turned on from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm daily. Using the words Civic and Auditorium, and having them flank both the north and side sides of his design, he utilizes word etymology to reveal the root of the each of the words. How wonderful to discover that the word “Civic” actually relates to the Old High German phrase of “married couple” and how appropriate to the recent historic milestone of the legalization of Gay Marriage in the San Francisco Civic Center. To provide additional access to the non-English speaking viewers, interpretive plaques in different languages will be installed on the building and placed at the pedestrian level, pending approval from the Historic Preservation Commission.

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Accompanying this narrative is the artist’s proposal drawings, simulations of the project during the day and night, the proposal narrative and estimated budget, examples of his past work and a summary of public comments from a recent display at the Main Library.

Motion: Motion to approve the proposal entitled ‘W.F.T. (San Francisco)’, 2016 submitted by Joseph Kosuth for a text-based illuminated neon artwork to be installed on the western facing facades of the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium for a total project budget of $1,200,000.

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Selected Artwork Proposal for the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium Public Art Trust Project Proposal Exhibition Dates: March 27 – April 10, 2017

BACKGROUND AND SELECTION PROCESS: The San Francisco Arts Commission’s objective is to activate and enliven the Polk Street and west facing Hayes Street façades of the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium with a significant, museum caliber artwork of the highest aesthetic quality for permanent display. This project is the first public art project to be funded through the auspices of the Public Art Trust with a contribution made by The Emerald Fund, the developers who are constructing two residential properties across from the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. A national call for artists was issued in October 2014, after which a public selection panel chose three artists to participate in an interview process: James Carpenter, Ned Kahn, and Joseph Kosuth. The selection panel reconvened in June 2015 to conduct the interviews and selected Joseph Kosuth on the basis of his interview, past work, and preliminary ideas about the kind of project he envisioned. The Arts Commission contracted with the artist and he was invited to develop a unique proposal for the building.

SELECTED PROPOSAL:

Joseph Kosuth’s work investigates the production, relationship, and role of language and meaning through art. A pioneer of Conceptual Art, Kosuth creates text-based artworks which define and re-define through a variety of scale, mediums, and forms. His recent public artworks involve large scale neon light installations on the exterior of buildings and employ a broad palette of languages and type face. Kosuth’s works range from objects to text to collages to neon fabrications. For the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium project, Kosuth has designed a large scale light installation which spans the Polk Street and west facing Hayes Street façades of the building. This installation will be fabricated from neon lights. This will be the first public art commission by Joseph Kosuth in the United States, although he has created many permanent installations throughout Europe. Please take a few minutes to review the artwork proposal. Below are details, if you wish to provide public comment. OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT: If you would like to share your comments on the selected proposal, you may attend the Visual Arts Committee meeting and make a statement during the public comment period. The meeting will take place on April 19, 2017, 3 p.m. at 401 Van Ness Avenue, Room 125. Agendas for Arts Commission meetings may be found online here: http://sfgov.org/arts/ The proposal is also available online at www.sfartscommission.org/pubartcollection under the Proposals on Display section. Comments may be emailed to Aleta Lee, Public Art Trust Program Associate, at [email protected], hand delivered or mailed to 401 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 325. All comments are due by 5 p.m. on Monday, April 10, 2017. Materiales traducidos están disponibles para usted de manera gratuita. Para asistencia, notifique a Aleta Lee, [email protected], (415) 252-2251. 我們將為閣下提供免費的書面翻譯資料。 如需協助,Aleta Lee, [email protected], (415) 252-2251. Ang mga materyales na nakasalin sa ibang wika at ang mga serbisyong tagapagsalin sa wika ay walang bayad. Para sa tulong, maaring i-contact si Aleta Lee, [email protected], (415) 252-2251.

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Bill Graham Civic Auditorium Artwork Public Comment Summary Proposals were on display in the lobby of San Francisco Public Library and on the SFAC website for a period of two weeks. In that time we received 9 comments. Joseph Kosuth: Pros: Looks Great The artwork will be enjoyed by people of all ages and backgrounds x3 Artwork fits in very well into the environment x2 It blends well Looks like it would be hard to vandalize Timeless Interesting Contrast of neon against historic buildings could work Amazing Comments on very current social issues Inspires a positive outlook Message is broad enough for all ages Will enhance the space Excellent Will enliven the blank wall Cons: No connection between Black Lives Matter and Civil Rights with the proposal depicted Understated x3 Bland Unwanted Clutter taking up civic space The artwork will not be enjoyed by people of all ages and backgrounds Using “English Text” as main art form is not so universal Why not a female artist? Does not take into account the neighborhood Boring Not inclusive Poor location Not aesthetically pleasing Generic Dry Lost opportunity

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Joseph Kosu th ‘W.F.T. ( San F ranc i sco ) ’ , 2016 A r t P roposa l f o r t he B i l l Graham C iv i c Aud i t o r ium (Wes te rn Façade ) ‘ W. F. T. ( S a n F r a n c i s c o ) ’ 2 0 1 6 B i l l G r a h a m C i v i c A u d i t o r i u m , S a n F r a n c i s c o

A r c h i t e c t u r e i s t h e m o s t p s y c h o l o g i c a l o f t h e a r t s ; i t d e f i n e s t h e a p p r o a c h t o w o r k a n d f r a m e s y o u r r e s p o n s e t o t h e k i n d s o f m e a n i n g s y o u f i n d i n i t . T h e a p p r o p r i a t i o n o f a r c h i t e c t u r e a s p a r t o f m y w o r k i n g e n e r a l i s b e c a u s e i t i s s o f o r m a t i v e o f t h e d y n a m i c w h i c h c o n s t r u c t s t h e m e a n i n g o f c u l t u r a l p r o d u c t i o n –i n t h i s c a s e – t h e f a ç a d e o f a d i s t i n g u i s h e d p u b l i c b u i l d i n g – a c o n c e r t v e n u e t h a t h a s b e e n r e - p u r p o s e d o v e r t h e l a s t c e n t u r y h o u s i n g s p e c t a c l e s r a n g i n g f r o m p o l i t i c s t o s p o r t s t o c u l t u r e , i n s h o r t a b e l o v e d a n d d e m o c r a t i c a r e n a u s e d b y t h e c i t i z e n s o f S a n F r a n c i s c o . O u r e x p e r i e n c e o f a r t , w h e t h e r o n t h e f a ç a d e o f a f o r m e r b u n k e r , t h e L o u v r e , a n a n c i e n t c a s t l e , a m a s s i v e e x - i n d u s t r i a l s p a c e , a n e w b u i l d i n g b y F r a n k G e h r y, o r o n t h e f a ç a d e o f t h i s a u d i t o r i u m , i s f o r m e d b y t h e d i f f e r e n c e s i n t h e s o c i a l h i s t o r y o f a n y b u i l d i n g ’s p r i o r u s e ( w h i c h i s w h y t h a t b u i l d i n g t a k e s t h e f o r m i t t a k e s , a n d c o n s t r u c t s t h e k i n d o f a m b i e n t e n v i r o n m e n t t h a t i t d o e s ) a s w e l l a s t h e c u l t u r a l m e a n i n g t h a t g o e s w i t h i t . E i t h e r a n a r t i s t t a k e s t h a t i n t o a c c o u n t c r i t i c a l l y o r t h e s e r e l a t i o n s a r e f o r m e d f o r t h e m u n c r i t i c a l l y. T h e s e i s s u e s , t h a t i s , t h e f u l l c o n t e x t o f a r t , s e e m e d q u i t e r e l e v a n t t o m e a s a n a r t i s t a l r e a d y i n t h e 1 9 6 0 s a n d d e t e r m i n e d t h e k i n d o f w o r k I m a d e .

D u r i n g t h e r e s e a r c h p h a s e o f t h i s p r o j e c t , i t b e c a m e q u i t e e v i d e n t t h a t i t w o u l d b e a c h a l l e n g e t o c a p t u r e t h e e n c y c l o p e d i c n a t u r e o f t h e u s e s o f t h i s i m p o r t a n t b u i l d i n g f r o m i t s i n a u g u r a t i o n i n 1 9 1 5 a s p a r t o f t h e P a n a m a – P a c i f i c I n t e r n a t i o n a l E x p o s i t i o n t o t h e p r e s e n t . T h e S a n F r a n c i s c o C i v i c C e n t e r , w h e r e t h e B i l l G r a h a m C i v i c A u d i t o r i u m i s s i t u a t e d , n e a r C i t y H a l l , t h e S t a t e O f f i c e C o m p l e x a n d t h e S a n F r a n c i s c o P u b l i c L i b r a r y h a s a s h a r e d h i s t o r y w h e r e p o l i t i c s a n d c u l t u r e m e e t . T h e e s s e n c e o f t h i s b u i l d i n g a n d t h e h i s t o r i c p l a z a o f w h i c h i t i s p a r t i s w h a t I h a v e t r i e d t o a d d r e s s i n t h e p u b l i c a r t w o r k I a m p r o p o s i n g . T h e b a s i s o f t h i s p r o j e c t i s l a n g u a g e i t s e l f . I t i s a w o r k t h a t i s b o t h a r e f l e c t i o n o n i t s o w n c o n s t r u c t i o n a s w e l l a s o n t h e h i s t o r y a n d c u l t u r e o f i t s o w n l o c a t i o n . T h e s t r u c t u r e o f t h i s i n s t a l l a t i o n h a s t w o p a r t s : t h e e t y m o l o g y o f t h e w o r d s ‘ C i v i c ’ a n d ‘ A u d i t o r i u m ’ i n w h i t e n e o n o n t h e w e s t e r n f a ç a d e . T h e w o r k r e f l e c t s t h e c u l t u r a l a n d s o c i a l h i s t o r y o f t h e e v o l u t i o n o f l a n g u a g e i t s e l f , h o w t h e h i s t o r y o f a w o r d d e m o n s t r a t e s i t s r e l a t i o n s h i p t o c u l t u r e s a n d s o c i a l r e a l i t i e s q u i t e d i s t i n c t a n d d i s c o n n e c t e d . T h e w o r d ‘ C i v i c ’ i s i n t r i c a t e l y c o n n e c t e d t o t h e l o n g h i s t o r y o f c i v i l r i g h t s a c t i v i s m t h a t h a s t a k e n p l a c e ( a n d c o n t i n u e s t o t a k e p l a c e ) i n t h e p l a z a – f r o m G a y R i g h t s t o B l a c k L i v e s M a t t e r . T h e w o r d ‘ A u d i t o r i u m ’ o n t h e o t h e r h a n d i s m o r e s p e c i f i c t o t h e b u i l d i n g i t s e l f , r e f e r r i n g t o t h e c o l l e c t i v e a u d i e n c e a s s e m b l e d b y B i l l G r a h a m , w h o f o u n d a w a y, a s a c o n c e r t p r o m o t e r t o n o t o n l y p r o m o t e c o n c e r t s b u t a l s o c o m m u n i t y. I t i s o n l y i n t h e p r e s e n t w h e n a w o r d i s u s e d , a s i t i s w i t h a w o r k o f a r t b e i n g e x p e r i e n c e d , t h a t a l l w h i c h c o m p r i s e s t h e p r e s e n t f i n d s i t s l o c a t i o n i n t h e p r o c e s s o f m a k i n g m e a n i n g . H e r e , i n t h i s w o r k , l a n g u a g e b e c o m e s b o t h a n a l l e g o r y a n d a n a c t u a l r e s u l t o f a l l o f w h i c h i t w o u l d w a n t t o s p e a k .

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‘W.F.T. (San Francisco)’ 2016 Joseph Kosuth

a) Proposal Narrative/Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco Architecture is the most psychological of the arts. It defines the approach to work and frames your response to the kinds of meanings you find in it. The appropriation of architecture as part of my work in general derives from its formative dynamic in constructing the meaning of cultural production; in this case, the work addresses the façade of a distinguished public building–repurposed as a concert venue and civic space housing spectacles ranging from political gatherings to sports to cultural events; in short, the auditorium has functioned over the past century as a beloved and democratic arena used by the citizens of San Francisco. Our experience of art begins with a series of relations to interpret, whether we are viewing the façade of a former bunker, or an ancient castle, or a massive ex-industrial space, or a new building by Frank Gehry, or the Louvre, or the façade of this auditorium. The meaning of the work is formed by the differences in the social history of any building’s prior use (which is why that building takes the form it takes, and constructs the kind of ambient environment that it does) as well as the cultural meaning that goes with it. Either an artist takes this collective complexity into account critically or these relations are formed for them uncritically. These issues and relations, that is, the full context of art, seemed quite relevant to me as an artist already in the 1960s and determined the kind of work I made. During the research phase of this project, it became quite evident that it would be a challenge to capture the encyclopedic nature of the uses of this significant building from its inauguration in 1915 as part of the Panama–Pacific International Exposition to the present. The San Francisco Civic Center, where the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium is situated, near City Hall, the State Office Complex and the San Francisco Public Library represent a shared history where politics and culture intersect. The essence of this building along with the historic plaza of which it is part is what I have tried to address in the public artwork I am proposing. The basis of this project is language itself. It is a work that is both a reflection on its own construction as well as on the history and culture of its own location. The structure of this installation has two parts: the etymology of the two words ‘Civic’ and ‘Auditorium’ in white neon on the western façade. The work reflects the cultural and social history of the evolution of language itself, how the history of a word demonstrates its relationship to cultures and to social realities quite distinct and disconnected. The word ‘Civic’ is intricately connected to ideas and ideals of the social, and to the long history of civil rights activism that has taken place (and continues to take place) in the plaza—from the Gay Rights movement to the contemporary activist movement Black Lives Matter. The word ‘Auditorium,’ on the other hand, is more specific to the building itself, referring to the collective audience assembled by Bill Graham, who found a way, as a concert promoter to not only promote concerts but also community. It is only in the present when a word is used, as it is with a work of art being experienced, that all which comprises the present finds its location in the process of making meaning. Here, in this work, language becomes both an allegory and an actual result of all of which it would want to speak.

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b) Maintenance: Please see attached letter from James Rizzo. NeonLauro is in agreement with this assessment of maintenance requirements.

c) Subcontractors:

Fabrication, crating, and shipping:

NeonLauro 1956 Di Raimondo Piaia Via Raffaello, 57 C. f. PIARND71C29C957N P. IVA IT04267250266 T +39 0438 400053/401053 F +39 0438 400185 Email: [email protected] Installation: Neon Works James Rizzo 967 Grace Avenue Oakland, CA 94608 T: 510 652 5900 F: 510 652 5903 Email: [email protected] Electrical: TBD d) Design and Fabrication Schedule: Fabrication: Delivery of neon to San Francisco can occur 8 weeks from the date of the first payment of no less than 50% of the total fabrication cost to NeonLauro. Installation: 3 weeks (15 days total) Tecnolux coloured diameter 12 mm, cold cathodes neon tubes in crystal glass, hand moulded and shaped following the project received from Studio Kosuth New York. Providing you with the necessary electrodes, UL silicone insulating caps for electrodes, UL High Tension cables, EGL glass supports for neon. Neon transformers in metallic case patented for outdoor application type IP44 (IMQ marks) 110V Neon transformers: C UL US marks.