art radar
The auction for THINGS & their stories ended at midnight on Sunday 21 October 2019.
Screenshots of the auction pages are here:
Curated by Michaela Freeman
THINGS is a digital public art project where artists and writers are randomly allocated a THING – an old object. They received it by post and kept it for a while, whilst imagining the story for it. THINGS were then placed on the eBay site for the duration of a standard auction – 10 days, including their newly imagined biography.
The online space of eBay auction site was used to explore the notion of our obsession with objects, the blurred lines between the personal and the public.
During the 10-day eBay auction cycle in October 2019, the objects were also exhibited together in an exhibition on 310 New Cross Road in London. Viewed and read by hundreds of random and less random visitors to the eBay site, most THINGS sold during the first cycle, unsold lots relisted until sold, and all sent out with a print out of the story with the proceeds going to each artist.
We hoard and surround ourselves with things to remind us of our past and to establish who we are. It’s as if the objects have got a magical power to stop time, keeping our memories alive. But when we are no longer here, forget, or dispose of the object, the web of stories disappears. And the object moves on, via a charity shop or an auction house, gathering a new story for someone else…
Another reason for our obsession with things is the belief that they carry powers and meanings because of whom they belonged to, a collectable pen used by Churchill, for example, a notion that the auction houses have always encouraged and something that goes back to totemism and ancient beliefs.
AUCTION PAGES:
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PRESS IMAGES can be downloaded here. Enquiries – info@tamaraprojects.org
THINGS curated by Tamara Projects
We hoard and surround ourselves with things to remind us of our past and to establish who we are. It’s as if the objects have got a magic power to stop time, keeping our memories alive. But when we are no longer here, forget, or dispose of the object, the web of stories disappears. And the object moves on, via a charity shop or an auction house, gathering a new story for someone else…
Another reason for our obsession with things is the belief that they carry powers and meanings because of whom they belonged to, a collectable pen used by Churchill, for example, a notion that the auction houses have always encouraged and something that goes back to totemism and ancient beliefs.
THINGS is a digital public art project where artists and writers create stories for objects. The objects are sited on eBay site for the duration of a standard auction – 10 days, including their new ‘story’, a made up biography.
During that time they are also displayed together in an exhibition at 310 New Cross Road from 12-21 October. Whilst the exhibition links directly to the auctions, the auctions will be real… After the auction, the objects are sent to their buyers with a print out of the story, unsold lots are relisted until sold.
ARTISTS’ BRIEF
You’ll be randomly allocated an old object in order to write its story for an eBay auction.
The story could be about whom the object belongs to, where it’s come from, what it’s been used for, etc… but the content is entirely up to you, stranger the better, but staying within the site’s guidelines.
The objects will be exhibited together with the story between whilst simultaneously auctioned on eBay.
The proceeds from the auction belong to the artist.
SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THIS PROJECT
Hard or Soft #Brexit?, 2017.
Are you hard or soft on brexit? Maybe you’re in-between.
This risqué bit of cartography by artist Andy Freeman shows the primary leave vote by ward for Southend and Castle point.
A limited edition of hires archival C prints of this highly accurate and detailed data artwork is now available to order via Paypal!
Tamara Projects is run by Michaela Freeman and Andrew Freeman and was set up to promote public art and interdisciplinary projects and interventions.
Tamara Projects takes its name from the conspicuously named super secret, military anti-ballistic missile defence system called ‘Tamara’ which Michaela’s grandfather worked on developing during the Cold War in then communist Czechoslovakia.
