Art Factory

2017

Found object, spray paint, glitter, adhesives

Art Factory is an interactive sculpture which invites viewers to generate mock contemporary art titles. The artwork has a bright pink kitsch aesthetic which playfully explores the reproducibility of artistic concepts. The machine churns out one of 4096 possible combinations mocking the ‘bullshit’ words that are often used to validate and accessorise overly conceptual artworks. These suggested titles are vague enough to retract any responsibility for an explanation, but pretentious enough to reflect the reality of contemporary art and art-making. The implied and participatory motion of pulling the lever down is an entertaining though repetitive action that offers only slightly varying results for those who use it. The ‘factory’ conjures thoughts of mass production concerning artistic output, connecting to the Pop art movement and how its artists approached creative production. Art Factory simultaneously references back to the Dadaists critical reception of shifting art concerns on a contemporary level. Not unlike Duchamp’s ready-mades, the Art Factory utilises humour and playfulness to question the validity of high-art and how it accumulates value within institutions.