Goldextra

The series of studio visits yesterday took us to Goldextra, an art collective based at the Künstlerhaus in Salzburg. We were met by three of the groups members: Sonja Prlić, Doris Prlić and Georg Hobmeier. They explained the background of the collective, and illustrated this with some of their recent and current projects.

Founded in 1998, the group at pone point had some thirty members, although that has now reduced to six. The idea has also changed. At first they worked as an open group, bringing in many artists and musicians - at one point they even ran a record label - but now their work has become more focused. The members have different backgrounds, ranging from theatre and performance arts to media. Their studio space serves as an essential meeting place, as they each live in different cities, as well as a place to discuss and generate ideas. It also serves as a veritable history of the group, littered with remnants of previous projects and works.

Each member works both within and beyond the group, and the joint projects involve some or all. The work, reflecting their interdisciplinary backgrounds, transcend any one medium, and they are always seeking to expand into new fields. An example is their recent computer game, “Frontiers”. The game centres on migration and immigration, with gamers able to play either as migrants or as police/border guards. With the game, they hoped to engage a community not usually associated with politically aware art - the gaming community - in these sensitive political issues. The game has certainly proved successful, with over 30,000 downloads to date.

Other projects reflect their diversity, from the ethnographic 99 Ways to Die in Scotland, to Strange Accommodation, a project recounting the absurd variety of sleeping arrangements artists have found on their travels.