architecture parallax : what you tell me is not what i hear you

fundació antoni tàpies barcelona  2003

peak gallery toronto 2006

38 images & recorded art jokes on the museum’s guide phones

Museum  guide phones are given to the public when entering the fundacion tapiés.

Rather then hear a pre recorded voice explaining the history of antoni tapiés and the history of the work. the participant is actually listening to Jokes on Art while seen Tapiés' works.

The public behaviour rather then serious listeners are actually laughing as he or she is looking at the work itself.

The condition of these given guide phones is to freeze the individual experience when looking at works of art. Freezing the experience of the room, of the other, and of the self as part of culture.

Joke example:

The largest american bank in NY asks a famous artist to install a large mural 30m X 30M in its grand entrance hall of their new  headquarters building.

At the inaugural party of the building, the CEO looks at the artist’s mural and out of a sudden asks his secretary for the artist.

The artist arrives and immediately the CEO preoccupied asks!

Did you do this work?

The artist replies,

Yes.

The CEO comments angrily,

But it is terrible and my 5 years old son can do this and perhaps even better!

The artist replies;

Yes, but I’m sure he doesn’t know how to charge 5 million dollars!