Buzz Buzz Buzz

Aside from the website and twitter, I have been looking into some ideas to generate some buzz for this exhibit. My husband reminded me of the promotional campaign Trent Reznor set in motion to promote his album:

 FROM TECH DIRT

Trent Reznor Continues To Show Different Ways To Connect With Fans

from the send-'em-on-a-treasure-hunt dept

Back when Trent Reznor was still signed to Universal Music, he tested out his own form of a promotional campaign for his latest album: he started hiding USB keys with songs off of the album in the bathroom at his various concerts. Fans would find the USB keys, bring them home and upload the songs — making it into a huge event, generating much more interest around the album. Now that he's independent and testing out all sorts of interesting business model experiments, he's also doing plenty to connect directly to his biggest fans. Take, for example, this story in the LA Times about Reznor hiding concert tickets around Los Angeles, under rocks and in drainpipes, and then putting up coordinates and clues on the Nine Inch Nails website, sending fans racing across the city to see if they can find the free tickets. While it may be a little silly, it is yet another way for Reznor to build up a really loyal fanbase. He's making being a fan fun. Sure, it's not for everyone, but it's certainly adding value to the "true fans" that support Reznor.

It might be neat to try and accomplish something like this. For example, place burnable dvds/cds in locations throughout the city with a cryptic message about the event in text speak. Like: c0m3 t0 FT, th1s j4nu4ry, d0 y0u und3rst4nd? Or USB drives. Or T shirts placed in certain locations. Or some other idea.


Thoughts?

Oct 10th Meeting Recap and Moving Forward

Hey everyone.

I wanted to take a few moments to recap on the key points discussed during the meeting on Saturday, October 10. Due to outside circumstances, some of you could not attend or arrived after the meeting had started, so I wanted to inform you on what you may have missed.

I realize all of your schedules are extremely busy, so first off I wanted to say thank you for coming to the space and meeting with me, Kate and Orvokki. I appreciate how valuable everyone's time is and know a meeting is not how most of you want to spend a Saturday. :)

Meeting Recap:

The goal of this meeting (as mentioned in the earlier blog entries) was to acquaint yourselves with the folks at Future Tenant, observe the space, and ask any questions you may have had regarding your pieces being exhibited. It was also a chance for you to meet some of the other participating artists.

The meeting itself was relatively informal in structure. As I mentioned earlier, I realize that a few of you came a little later to the meeting and missed Kate and Ovrokki's initial address at 2 p.m. They provided a rundown of the constraints and facts integral to displaying your art at Future Tenant. A handout of these facts was given to all the artists. I am not sure if all of you received it, so I am listing it here:

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Future Tenant Facilities Constraints and Factoids

As of 08/2009

The building at 819 Penn Ave. which currently houses Future Tenant is a space donated for use by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.  The building was originally slated for demolition.  There has been construction done in order to make it a suitable gallery space, however there are some issues which need to be considered when installing works.

• The original walls were concrete.  The walls in the space are constructed with 1/4" drywall secured to firring strips.  This means that the only thing holding pieces up is a regular-strength piece of gypsum.  Anything heavier than 5lbs. will not be supported and will pull out the dry wall.  This has been addressed by copper pipes that can be installed or removed at the top of the wall in order to support weight.  These pipes can be added or removed accordingly.

• Please keep in mind that even oversized 2D works that are framed become heavy, so if pieces are really large its best if the glass from the frame is removed.

• There are two columns in the space that are concrete.  If you're comfortable and have the availability to drill into concrete, feel free and patch when you're done.  You can patch with regular spackle, as long as look the same its fine.

• Please be aware that using screws in the walls pulls the plaster out with removal.  We really appreciate if you are using screws that you sand and patch the walls to the position that they were in when you'd arrived.  We'll take care of normal nail-hole patching.

• The track lights cannot support weight, and the tin ceiling is not very secure, so it is not weight-bearing as well.  However, large pieces can be supported by the walls on either side toward the top of the wall.  If you want something to hang from the ceiling, we can help you troubleshoot this ceiling issue.

• The balcony has been renovated so that it can assist in installation.  However, the plywood is only 1/2" so
it's not really load bearing, so stuff like DJ equipment would be too much weight.  For general usage
though, it's fine.  Just be careful of the pipes, as they are the water pipes from the bathroom.

• No holes in the floors, that's a no-brainer.  And no one can use or get in the elevator, because it is a death trap.

• The neon sign in the window can't be moved, feel free to work around it.  Also, nothing in the window can be more lewd than PG-13, as innocent children often find themselves on the sidewalk.  Go nuts in the back of the space, we don't dig censorship.

• We have tools that can be used for installation.  Although not of the best quality, they get the job done.  Please let us know what your needs are in terms of installation tools and we'll get you what you need.  Please don't steal anything.

• Please don't install anything that would be a hazard to the general public, as kids/crazy people often try to touch stuff or bump into stuff. Electricity + water do not mix.

• Sorry, but nobody's allowed in the basement.  Or upstairs.  You don't want to go there anyway, actually.

If you have any questions about installation, or concerns about your piece, please let us know.  The more time we have to troubleshoot issues the more we can help you.  All staff members are full-time students, so the earliest you can let us know when you need help installing the more we can work with our schedules.

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After their initial words, we broke off and I spoke with each of you individually or alongside Kate and Ovrokki. Hopefully between the three of us, we addressed any questions or concerns in you may have had concerning displaying your art. I had a lot on my mind by way of putting the show together and getting any info you might need from the curators at Future Tenant and I may have not addressed everything you had concerns about, so If you still feel you require some further clarification or have additional questions please do not hesitate to ask.

While there, I hope you got a chance to review the space somewhat. I know it is difficult to decipher placement of your piece where there is existing art inhabiting the space. Please let me know if you had an idea of where in the venue you would like to see your art displayed or if you have any additional concerns regarding your piece and its positioning. I am not promising any one person any particular place along the walls, but if I can accommodate your wishes I will. I am going to start mapping things out relatively soon. With all the projected art I want to make sure things are "set up" aesthetically and acoustically sound.

Speaking of aesthetics, If you have in mind any other ideas for the look and feel of the entire exhibit space, please drop me a line. Especially in relation to your piece, i.e. painting the wall a particular color behind your art. Bear in mind we will have some typography stenciled on the walls furthermore enhancing the notion of "electronic text" communication. My intention is to keep the space a black and white motif because text in its purest form is black on white. Please let me know any additional thoughts you may have.

Lastly, I discussed the title of the exhibit with the Kate And Ovrokki. We decided upon Do You Understand?: Communication Through Technology. Again, if any of you have anything catchier let me know, otherwise this is the title.

In addition to this blog entry, I will be sending some of you individual email follow ups to information we discussed on Saturday, so please look for that as well.

Upcoming meeting, naming the project and shaping our intent

Hey folks.

First I wanted to say thanks to all of you for getting back with me regarding the meeting on the 10th. I really am excited to meet with all of you and hear more about your projects in person. Also if you have any additions or changes to your projects, please email them to me before the meeting so we are all on the same page.

Secondly, I know you are being barraged by a lot of information via email and blog entries penned by me. I appreciate you taking the time to read them all.

Thirdly, I have been taking a lot of time these past few weeks/months organizing the show and I am still struggling with the title. I certainly want it to be catchy and be as PR "enticing" as possible. I also really like the whole idea of Do You Understand? One of our artists, Kristen, had this suggestion. "As for show titles, my suggestion was to turn the title into a text-like acronym. So the show if it were called "communication through technology: do you understand?" that you could call it "CTT:DYU?" Or in turn we could call it and abbreviated version of itself. comunication thru technlgy: do u understand? (i am not good at abbreviation through text speak but you get the idea). Any thoughts?

Lastly, I sent the description as well as the title over to a friend of mine and he said that both the description and the title might be skewing things more negatively towards technology. And that the description pretty much answers the questions being asked with it's tone, that it begs for art that is anti-technology. Here is the main description:

DO YOU UNDERSTAND? communication through technology

Click + Twitter + IM = Communication. :)

Technological advancements have opened our world like never before. We reunite, collaborate and express our deepest emotions through lines of typed text. We do business at light speed through the click of a button. For some of us it is a breathtaking and necessary utilitarian device to aid us in connecting and communicating with the world for our personal and business needs. For others, it is a new form of social hermitism, with the illusion of real connectivity. Texts and IM chats replace phone calls and face to face communication. Facebook friends have become closer to us than our next door neighbors, and sending a virtual drink to a fellow coworker replaces the idea of hanging out in our “down” time. Classmates, exes and the general garden variety acquaintances from the past are now the forefront of everyday life. But are we as close to each other as we think we are? Are we communicating or are we becoming virtual and physical hermits? Are we understanding each other? Is this better living through technology or are we avoiding life but filling it with emotionless words often misunderstood? There are pro and cons to this brilliantly advanced age. Can we evolve with this technology without losing ourselves?

Local artists in their medium of choice will explore these modern day complexities and through their art will elaborate. Through their projects the complexities of human communication in this “faceless” age will be explored.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

This exhibition is looking to have local artists through a variety of mediums decipher their own interpretations to answer the questions posed in the curatorial statement. Local artists in their medium of choice will explore these modern day complexities of communication and through their art will elaborate and these complexities of human communication in this “faceless” age will be explored. This will be a mixed medium exhibit that incorporates modern technology, soundscapes, film and surrealist imagery as well as painting, sculpture, graphic design, projections, LCD monitors, furniture installations, and walls of text messages, interactive installation and the like. The main goal is a cohesive and thought provoking exhibition.


As a clarification, the intent with this exhibit is neither neither positive, negative or neutral, but the intent should explore the artist's impressions of communication through technology. And in doing so attempts to answer some of the questions I presented in the theme description. I do not want to influence your impression of communicative technology whatsoever. I just want you to express your feelings on this subject via the art.

That's all for now. See you in few days. :)