2011
In the Spring of 2011, I received the following email notifying me of the removal of a piece of work I had just installed.
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“Hi Adan, We are so sorry but after much deliberation we have decided to pull the piñata performance piece from the sound art exhibition at GOCA. This was our decision as the directors of the gallery. We really like your work and think you have a very strong statement but we think where this work has been sited in the exhibit invites uncontrollable misinterpretation.
If we had a controlled opportunity to educate all passers by about the intention and purpose of your work we would have included it, but because it is in a fishbowl of sorts (which is entirely our fault) there is no way to educate all viewers.
We considered moving the performance but as it is a full exhibit unfortunately there is not another appropriate space for the performance to occur.
We apologize that our poor decisions in siting the work have prevented us from including the performance in this particular exhibit. You will be paid in full for your participation in this exhibition as previously agreed. We would very much like to show your work in the future and are happy to be able to include the Steam Parade piece.
We look forward to seeing you and Max on Friday.
Best,
Daisy McConnell
Director | Galleries of Contemporary Art University of Colorado at Colorado Springs w: 719.255.3504 | www.galleryuccs.org
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The following video was initially documentation of myself trying to comprehend and explain why the work had been removed from the show. I determined it was more important to echo the sentiment and vagueness displayed in their reasoning and simply remove all the articulate dialog. This turned the video into a visualization of confusion and stumbling fleeting thoughts. The audio becomes a composition determined by speech and thought patterns that welcome “uncontrollable misinterpretation.”