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SPRING / BREAK Interview - The Untitled Space

SPRING / BREAK Art Fair Interview Project

Exhibition Title: (HOTEL) XX

By Indira Cesarine of The Untitled Space

3/12/18

I chose to interview Indira Cesarine of The Untitled Space because I'd spoken with my friend who agreed to work with her on a photo / interview project she was doing about sex workers. My friend Jackie, who publically goes by the name Maidenfed, is a dominatrix, model, writer and collage artist. She told me that she had a difficult time communicating with Ms Cesarine and that they had clashed opinions when it came time to discuss exhibiting their spread in the SPRING / BREAK show. From what Jackie told me, the photoshoot she did with Indira was intended to be a separate project and not to be included in the art fair exhibit. Indira went ahead and exhibited the photos in her exhibit anyways, despite Jackie's objection. I found this problematic coming from the curator of a supposed feminist gallery, so I went into the interview hoping to get a little more information about the situation from Indira.

RG: What is the importance of showing in an art fair in your opinion? What impact do you think you participation has on the art market?

IC: I think it depends on which fair, you know every fair has a different sort of dialogue and you know um relationship to the public and culture at large, large fairs like the armory even fairs like scope have a more commercial initiative, it's more about sales, gallery impact on the art market, institutional collection pieces etc, then you have smaller faires like spring break which are about creativity innovation, you know pushing the needle of what's happening today in the art world with regard to artista dnc ulrators to be as creative as possible.

RG: Do you show in multiple fairs?

IC: No, um I mean i have a gallery in tribeca um but i personally don't do a lot of art fairs, because I have a feminist curatorial and i find that our message is um highly invited with a narrative.

RG: And what would you say your message or mission is?

IC: Overall our voice is to collectively empower, that being either empowering women, empowering people, embodying notions of freedom, empowering those who have been marginalized or oppressed in any way, so we obviously do a lot of feminist themed exhibits and do a lot of politically themed exhibits like for for example on the resistance movement.

RG: Are all of your artists female identifying?

IC: No, its a mix. This particular show is 24 female identifying artists but in the shows in the gallery we mix it up. I tend to have, I would say the deminationg thing is since we do a lot of feminist themed exhibits the primary group of artists is women that we work with but at the end of the day you know we absolutely are supportive of including men in you know the feminist mission, I think its really important that men are included in that.

RG: How do you go about selecting the artists that you exhibit in the gallery?

IC: I mean a lot of it is um instinctive in a sense that when I review the work is has to fit thematically, the artist has to have a distinct voice that fits and aligns with our mission, um i think its really important also the artists statement um then once i've worked with an artist a few times then I know their work and its easier to curate their work into the show when I know its a good fit. For example this show, I'd say about 75% of the artists are artists that we've worked with before.

RG: Do you exhibit artists of color?

IC: Oh a lot. Oh of course, yeah. We have quite a lot in this show. [Mentions a few artist names that are in this show] I'm actually Mexican American so i mean a lot of artists from varied backgrounds, queer, lesbian, different ethnic groups, I just think its really important to reflect diversity.

RG: Absolutely. What is the primary demographic you notice that purchases works from the gallery?

IC: Its a huge range. I mean sometimes its young up and coming collectors that just love you know an artists voice and sometimes its a massive range i can't really say that we have one particular stereotype that purchases works.

RG: Do women purchase works?

IC: um, i would say its about 50/50. More than it used to be. When we first opened the gallery more collectors that were coming were male collectors but with all these movements like the women's march and all these movements empower women people realize its really important to support the feminist message and a lot of women that were perhaps not that were like that can afford to buy art were not necessarily buying it until they realized how important it is to be a part of that whole dialogue you know.

RG: Who do you think has the most access to the work in your gallery?

IC: Well anybody can come in to the gallery, recently we've had groups of students come in. Recently we had an autistic group of like 10 autistic kids that we did a tour with, so its really for everybody and we want to make it accessible to everybody of any age, background, financial thing which is why we dont charge to go to the gallery. I mean with art fairs like this you have to buy tickets which can limit who can come.

RG: How do you think the election of donald trump has affected the art world or more specifically your niche in the market?

IC: I think its motivated a lot of artists, I think a lot of artists are inspired by responding to whats going on. SO its been a collective you know like huge um you know all his actions are so so knee jerking that people want to respond to it in any way he can whether its his misogyny or his racism or you know his political agenda with regards to like gun rights like whatever theres like so many issues going on.

RG: And given that a lot of the work you exhibit is about empowerment or even sexual empowerment, what is your opinion on sex workers?

IC: I mean I personally advocate for the decriminalization of sex work, I think its really important evolution that has to happen with regards to like reducing sex trafficking and also having an affect on women's health and safety that work in those environments and i personally feel like its your not trafficked into that but if you choose work work in the industry, i mean its like abortion rights, the right to choose you have a right to choose to do with our body and if you choose to go into that line of work then you should be able to do it in a healthy and safe environment. I think the issues of sex trafficking are big problem in our society and um thats something that needs to be sort of curtailed and while its illegal its really hard for that to be addressed in a large way. Its a really complicated issue thought because some countries like germany tried to legalize prostitution as a means to reduce sex trafficking and its actually made the issue worse they have like maybe 4 times more sex workers than they did like ten years ago, and a lot of the movement have actually been brought down for trafficking so its a very tricky situation and it needs a large amount of regulation and its not an open ended thing it needs to be extremely thought out and not just done in like a small area, its a big problem when you have one place that its legal and everywhere else its illegal and it draws everyone to that place and then things get out of control, so you know just like drug control its very similar to like you know the legalities of like drugs its the same way in which something like that can be addressed. Amnesty International has come out for the decriminalization of sex trafficking issues and I think its something we're definitely going to hear more about in politics in the next decades its gonna be a bigger and bigger issue.

RG: Do you exhibit any work by artists who are also sex workers in your gallery?

IC: We have in the past. Nobody that I would want to name personally but we have in the past.

RG: I actually know Jackie (a model in one of the photos in the exhibit) what was it like working with her?

IC: Jacky was extremely confident she invited me to her home to do a photoshoot it was like very straightforward in a sense she is a very sort of um how shall i say forthright outspoken person and i told her that i was working on this series and she was excited to be a part of it and she invited me to her house to do this series. We actually have a big interview although I haven't published it, I probably won't because I feel it's not the right timing, it might be incriminating.

RG: What was the interview for?

IC: I'm also the editor in chief of a magazine called the untitled magazine and when I did the series with her it was as a journalist and sort of artist. Um, and she agreed to the interview and to be photographed for it.

At this point Indira asked me to stop recording and send her a copy of it. She told me she thought Jackie was a "good person" but inexperienced in the industry. She told me she removed Jackie's name, Maidenfed, from the exhibit, meaning she was not credited as representing herself in a photoshoot which had the intent of demystifying the nature of sex workers and giving identity to them. She said she did not want her gallery to be associated with Maidenfed at this point, and that she probably will not publish the interview she did was Jackie for that reason. I asked her why she removed Jackie's name from the credits in the show, and she said she felt it was not relevant and not the right time politically to represent a sex worker with such strong opinions and voice. I could have continued this discussion with her but was starting to get a little nervous given that her tone drastically shifted from charming and polite to defensive and somewhat displeased. I thanked her for her time and looked at the rest of the exhibit.

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David Harvey - Space as a Keyword and Neoliberalism and the City

To re-read David Harvey's "Space as a Keyword" text alongside "Neoliberalism and the City" provided an illuminating lens through which to begin the investigation of the study of global cities. Now that Harvey's 3-fold definition of space has become a working part of my analytical approach to looking at architecture, the application of absolute, relative, and relational space toward the analysis of global cities only allows for deeper exploration of these spatial politics. In Neoliberalism and the City Harvey suggests that humans have been unconscious of the way in which they shaped their cities, which therefore meant they unconsciously produced an entirely new humanitarian subject within that city as well. And, according to the Keyword text, New York City - the main example in the Neoliberalism and the City text - exists spatially as absolute, relative, and relational at the same time. It seems that economic neoliberalism creates two kinds of human subjects: one that is in a position of power and one that is not. In relation to the New York bankruptcy, the decisions made by government officials and investment bankers to "rectify" the situation were certainly not accidental. This example is just another of hundreds of times in history in which power dynamics have been actively utilized to dominate and control groups of people. If the New York example is considered through the lens of Harvey's relational space, then the financial decisions during this time shaped an entire society of imbalance and injustice. This awareness toward the way in which social and political processes create a cultural society is what Harvey hoped to achieve through his initial creation of spatial frameworks.

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POPS Analysis: 135 East 57th Street

I approached The Cohen Brothers Park at 135 East 57th Street by walking south on the west side of Lexington Avenue. As I was half a block away, I saw the massive circular sculpture looming over the busy corner of 57th Street and Lexington Avenue. The pillars, made of dark heavy marble, held up a circular structure resembling a huge cement donut. I rounded the corner so as to get a better view of the structure and felt very small. Inside the circular pavilion, benches are carved into structure to provide seating. On each side of the structure, there are several plants, and a small waterfall. There are steps up to the pavilion from the corner of the block, and ramps to enter the plaza from both sides.

135 East 57th Street is a property owned by Cohen Brothers Realty, a global property management company. What is interesting about this property, is that it actually contains two privately owned public spaces. The first is the entrance described above, and the second is a small park, much more secluded, around the corner from the main building. This offers a dramatically different experience than the main plaza area on the corner of 57th and Lexington. As opposed to the grand theatrical experience a visitor feels upon approaching the plaza, the park is deep, narrow, and much more intimate, as it penetrates into the block north of 57th street. Unfortunately this park was closed when I visited on Sunday afternoon, so I was unable to go inside. However, a view through the gate provided me with plenty of information. At the back there is a waterfall, and on the sides of the park there are several benches surrounded by plants, flowers, and trees. In the middle there are tables and chairs for more seating.

The two POPS are interesting in relation to David Harvey’s spatial theory. The two spaces located on the same property lot are, of course, absolute spaces within themselves. They can be considered relative in that they provide platforms on which circulation of energy and people take place at all hours. They are relational in that they were created on the basis of laws which were made to re-define the standards of space in New York City; a change to the history of Manhattan. Furthermore, I found this location similar to the Panopticon in that it is circular in nature, and directly visible by the security desk in the lobby of the main building on the plaza. I stepped inside the building for a brief moment and observed that whoever is standing guard at the desk has a full view of the entire plaza from one end to the other. I couldn’t help but wonder if this was an intended design feature for the building and plaza.

Overall, I found this POPS to be very successful according to New York City standards for a POPS. Both areas were ADA accessible, and had plenty of greenery to create a sense of calm to distract from the busy neighborhood. The waterfalls also added to this effect.The circular design of the plaza allowed for functional circulation of pedestrians, as well as lots of visibility to ensure a sense of safety and openness. There were more than enough seating areas to accommodate a large number of people, making this POPS an ideal place for a quick break from the office.

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Response to Foucault’s Of Other Spaces

Michel Foucault’s “Of Other Spaces” was a very pleasant read, and quite inspiring as well. I found his thinking to be somewhat similar to the thinking of David Harvey in his essay we read at the beginning of the semester, “Space as a Keyword”, in that Foucault claims that external space is a set of relations rather than a spatial void. It is with this argument that he can support his theory of heterotopias as being real locatable spaces in the world, rather than the fictitious concept of a utopia. Before he outlines the principles that a heterotopia must embody in order to be a heterotopia, he discusses the mirror as both a utopia and a heterotopia. I found this to be interesting and worthy of further thought, because as an object can reflect both everywhere and nowhere at the same time I wondered what other objects or places could do the same.

I thought of churches or other religious institutions as an interesting type of heterotopia, and believe they could be rightfully classified as one. Religious institutions exist all over the world, the different global societies can make their own institution function how they would like, it juxtaposes several real places into one (the confessional, the altar, the choir and organ in the balcony, the basement, etc), it is absolutely linked to places in time in that there is rich history that surrounds almost any religion, and lastly they create a space of illusion where the worshipper completely alters his or her behavior to match the laws or rules that are expected of behavior in a church. I find it helpful to consider space in the way that Foucault does to better study and understand society as a whole and the behavior or humans too.

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Response to Deluze’s Postscript on the Society of Control

Deluze’s theory on the concept of a control society proves to be interesting, especially compared to Foucault’s disciplinary society, and especially too as I feel I am a subject in this controlled society. Deluze argues that we are in a “crisis” in relation to all forms of enclosures, and by this he means that all types of institutions such as prisons, schools, hospitals, etc., are obsolete. What has replaced these disciplinary societies are societies of control, free from confined space, but rather free floating systems. He relates the corporation to a spirit or a gas, as something that cannot be seen but rather felt among society. Instead of working our way up from the bottom to achieve a certain goal, we are constantly renewing and re-inventing ourselves to keep up with the capitalist machine; this reminds me of the feeling of running on a treadmill. This brings up the question of space in relation to this change in society. Instead of existing in absolute spaces (our homes, our schools, our places of work) we instead exist in a network of relations at the center of which is a capitalist economy. The capitalist economy has morphed humans into thinking they will never reach a destination, never reach a goal, or never have enough. Deluze personifies this concept in the form of a serpent, and it is felt in that exact way.

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The Prison Industrial Complex - Angela Davis

The prison industrial complex is a term that was coined when people started to contest the belief that crime was the root cause of increase in prison population, but in reality the cause was an increase in racist tactics to assist in increasing profit of individual companies. In Angela Davis’ essay, she discusses the relationship between crime and punishment, and corporate profits. She writes that the number of companies that are involved in profiting off of what is essentially slave labor by incarcerated bodies (most often people of color) is astounding and I find, frankly absurd. Furthermore, she writes that the prison building project that took place during the 1980’s was essentially created due to what the capitalist system had decided was a human surplus. So therefore, the prison is not just a holding place for people who commit acts of violation against the law. They are spaces, both physical and relational, that function as much more. The relationship between the prison and the corporation produce not just an inmate, but rather a subject of abusive power under the notion of criminality. This is clearly one important example of the corruption our nation faces under a capitalist society, and it is important to compare our prison system to that of other nations. I’m aware that in Finland for example, there is a prison where inmates are allowed to have keys to their rooms, and come and go as they please, they are allowed to garden in a garden on the grounds, take classes for school credit, and even take a weekend every now and then to visit their families. I think it is this type of progressive reform that is needed in our country to combat the racist and abusive perspective we have on criminality.

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