Michael Beutler

FULLY BOOKED

The course is divided roughly into three sections. In the first, we will examine the role of tools in art, in the broadest sense. How do tools contribute to an artist’s personal style? What possibilities do they offer, what limitations do they impose, how far is the user dependent on them? Can a tool give rise to a pattern of action? Under what circumstances can others be involved in the process or the production? In the second section, we will look for problems arising in specific situations, possible solutions to which could be formulated with the help of self-developed tools. Questions could concern space, production in limited edition, building larger structures, or how to attain specific aims.
 

All participants have the opportunity of developing a system of their own, of making a special tool to suit individual needs. Finally, the work will be released – not the maker, but someone else can take the tool and use it to seek a solution. Through this dialogue, the work will be considered, the tools refined, the working method modified and the result varied.
 

Students will learn and implement activity-oriented, collaborative approaches, as well as how to construct large-scale installations with simple resources and how to translate concepts into a potentially non-completable process.