Garbage Pin Project

The ‘Garbage Pin Project’ has received a support grant from Portuguese Ministry of Culture

‘worth VS waste’ in the current urban society

The proposal involves 100 artists who are to reinterpret the piece Garbage Pin in a conscious and critical way. Throughout this experience, the artist is to select, create or recreate the contents to place in the plastic bags according to the perspective and reflections generated by the project. It is a free and personal take, without any rules regarding formal, aesthetic or ethic codes. The artist is to gather 5 rubbish bags with their respective contents.

The Team

Adam Grinovich, Adrean Bloomard, Alessia Semeraro, Alexandra Lisboa, Ana Batles, Ana Yael, André Gonzaga, André Nogueira, Ann Mechiels, Anna Fornari, Antonia Alampi, Antonio Contador, Antonio Ortega, Antony Millard, Brigitte Haubenhofer-Salicites Carla Cruz, Carles Codina, Carmen Amador, Carolin Mueller, Cecília Richard, Chiara Zenzani, Christina T. Miller, Claude Smithz, Coco Dunmire, Cristina Filipe, Cristina Jorge, Dan Graur, Dana Sperry, David Páramo, Diego Bisso, Diego de Leon, Donald Friedlich, Doris Maninger, Edgar Medina, Elisa Pellicani, Elizabeth Shypertt, Estela Saez Vilanova, Fabrizio Tridenti, Francisca Benitez, Francisco Queiros, Gemma Draper, Giovanni Sicuro, Gonçalo Pena, Inês Botelho, Isa Duarte Ribeiro, Isabel Worm James Thurman, Javi Garcia, Jean Philipe Defaut, Jordi Mitjá, Jorge Palma, José Belenguer, Judy McCaig, Katja Prins, Karl Fritsch, Leo Caballero, Liliana Alves, Lourdes Carmelo, Mª Ana Ricon Peres, Macarena Rakos, Marce.lí Antunez Roca, Mari Funaki, Mari Ishikawa, Maria Brossa, Maria Lobo, Maria Piedad García, Maria Rosa Franzin, Marlene Dias, Marta Miguel, Martí Perán, Miguel Gullander, Mikiko Minewaki, Miriam Alsida, Natalya Pinchuk, Nicolas Estrada, Nicole Lehmann, Nuno Rogério Costa, Paula Crespo, Paula Rodrigues, Peter Hoogeboom, Peter Skubic, Ramon Puig Cuyas, Raquel Gómez, Renato Bisso Mojko, Rita Marcangello, Roberta Bernabei, Rui Fragoso, Ruudt Peters, Silke fleischer, Silvia Walz, Susana Pomba, Susie Ganch, Ted Noten, Teresa F Faris, Teresa Milheiro, Virginia Macarulla

The installation / exhibitions

The ultimate purpose of this project is an installation composed by 500 rubbish bags generated by 100 artists.

The installation is composed of 100 modules, each one representing the participation of one artist. The modules make this is a highly adaptable installation to the special characteristics of any space.

Along with the installation, the supporting texts written by each artist will be available to the public in a small binder. The texts will be written in English.

A detailed schedule of the exhibits will be publish in October/November 2008. The project will be in exhibit at diverse contemporary art and jewellery galleries in different locations around the world. The calendar for 2009 is anticipated as intense.

The Catalogue

The production of a catalogue is as documental registrar of the project. A temporary prototype has been created to evolve along the material sent by each artist.

The catalogue includes a photographic register of all the artists’ participation, together with their texts and respective biographies. There will be a theory preface to support the project and a text in charge of Marti Perán, contemporary art critic.

Information website

As of October/November of 2008 an information website will be updated, remaining online during the project exhibitions. Initially the direction Web will be: http://garbage.pin.project.com

Theory structures for this project

Understanding that the current reality is full of virtual situations and information pretenses, it is considered that art must, in this moment, create realities that can be experienced in real time by real people. Leaving aside the artistic line that offers solutions or proposals controlled by the artist, it is intended with this kind of work to follow a line that produces real “happening possibilities” by the potential users and that these finish the work of art, openly, contributing with a perspective. These people are, through reflection, to offer alternative proposals according with each one’s subjective reality, contrary to the closed conclusions, pseudo-universal or global. In this kind of work, just a ‘device’ is provided, the conceptual challenge, the invitation to reflection.. later on, this device is put into action by the different subjects. They are invited this way to conclude the work of art “their way”, according to their point of view, reached from the conclusions they’ve developed as a result of their real experiences and of the socio-cultural frame where they take place.

It is a search that tries to capture defined frequencies amongst the immense and abstract idea of ‘urban mentality’. It is an effort to collect data anthropologically valid so that, through these devises, the individual thoughts of the people who create the current reality of our social urban landscape can be felt, listened and given an active voice.

I am grateful to all of those who allow that this project is conducted in the best possible way and I hope that the final result will make all involved artists proud.

I will always be available for any questions.

Kind regards,

Ana Cardim