Weather

'Weather' (from the series Audio Library of a Viewable World) is a meditation on the curious relationship between art and climate activism. Acts like throwing soups at paintings and glueing oneself to sculptures eerily replicate art practices like action painting and performance art. As the modernist attempts of overcoming the art/life divide have not become reality, historical art appears as the symbol of a detached and lifeless culture. Phoebe Plummer, the Van Gogh soup thrower, stated in the National Gallery: "What is worth more: Art or Life?" This work responds that without art the very conception of ourselves and our lives could not exist. Through juxtaposing disconnected scenes from performance art, action painting and Vienna actionism with statements by Jackson Pollock and footage of art-related climate activism, this work is a playful argument for the silent strength of art that emanates from its abstraction from life. 'Weather' is part of the 'Audio Library of a Viewable World', a series of website-specific YouTube videos that use the platform's features as often interactive elements of the artwork. Each video's sounds are all taken from the eponymous category in the YouTube audio library. Watch the full work on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkrmEz14GzNNo_jmf_dmmzs-xiZfPVjji