When visiting a museum or gallery, how do you typically act?
I would guess you are very courteous and quiet, while trying your hardest to
avoid touching things. At the next ARTLab, we will be breaking that habit by
bringing Temporary Autonomous Zones (TAZs for short) to the Mattress Factory.
What is a TAZ you ask? According to artist in residence Benjamin
Sota, they are a “socio-political tactic of creating temporary spaces that elude
formal structures of control” and can be very influential in how people think
about society. In these spaces, individuals can act in ways they normally
wouldn’t dare, free from the constraints of “normal” societal behavior. Sota creates a TAZ in his
exhibition Damn everything but the circus,
an installation that invites viewers to forget the rules and play to get a full
understanding of the pieces.
At the upcoming ARTLab, visitors will be invited to create
their own TAZs, each with a different “rule” everyone must follow upon entering
- the sillier, the better. Sota makes it clear that TAZs don’t work unless
EVERYONE commits, so come out and join us for a fun afternoon of breaking the
rules!
ARTLab and Drop-in Tours are open to all ages and free with
museum admission. See you there!
