last night, i went to critical discourse, hoping to get honest critique of the Top Ten at ArtPrize this year. instead, i got a chance to introduce alois kronschlaeger, the artist of this work, to the concept of “michigan nice,” and i had the chance to hear from him what engaged him in participating in ArtPrize.
it was the building, not the competition, that inspired him to come. it was the fact that the owner of the building would let him put a hole through the roof in order to create his vision. only after he and his gallery had become excited about the context of the building did they google the context of the competition.
it was then they realized what they had gotten him into.
“i will go home and have my reputation intact,” he said. the concerns we talked about were how to ensure that ArtPrize itself could create its own reputation of merit. it was probably some of the best, most honest conversation about the realities of the art world that i’ve had in a while. no pretention, no illusions of grandeur, and no -thank god- michigan nice. i think we had both had enough of that for the evening.
…
i went back today to visit spire again. i really started to understand his “preoccupation with environment and light.” the best part of the work, for me, was peeking up through the clean new wood structure (in the middle of all this crumbling concrete and peeling remains of earlier use) as it busted through the ceiling and let light pour in.
it made me think about the chances we have here, in our old run-down sad place that art has been relegated in popular society. we can bring new thoughts, new light, fresh insight. we can build again.
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One Comment
I’d love to hear more discussion about Michigan nice from a non-Michigander’s perspective. I read the book Blood, Bones & Butter and the author spent a brief time in Ann Arbor going to school at U of M. It was really funny reading about her experience with it.