"Ghislaine Leung's newest exhibit, titled Reproductions, opens its doors for viewings"
In the vibrant and ever-evolving world of contemporary art, Swedish-born, London-based artist Ghislaine Leung stands out with her unique approach to creation. Known for her practice of delivering artwork as open-ended instructions, or 'scores', Leung's method has been turning heads and sparking conversations about authorship, value, and permanence within the art industry.
Leung's scores, such as 'In Care' (2024) and 'Budget', are intentionally designed to provoke questions about interpretation, including what constitutes an artwork. By delivering her work in this manner, she places specific demands on institutions, requiring them to interpret and execute her instructions, thus involving them directly in the realization of her artworks.
One such example is 'In Care', where Leung asked Kunsthalle Basel to mark a wall with all 365 days of the year, then to highlight the childcare hours she'd need to work full time with a yellow rectangle. This approach not only shifts the dynamics of traditional art production and presentation but also exposes the often-invisible structures and systems that underpin cultural production.
Leung's method also affects control in the art world. While she provides the initial concept, the institution has agency in how it is realized, leading to variations in interpretation and execution. This dynamic complicates the traditional artist-institution relationship and the notion of fixed artistic intent.
Moreover, Leung's work challenges traditional notions of authorship. By requiring institutions to interpret and execute her scores, she distributes the creative responsibility among the artist, the institution, and its staff, blurring the lines of authorship. This approach is evident in works like 'The Four Years in Ten Years in Twenty Years' (2024), which was recently interpreted differently by a collector in New York.
Leung's minimalist approach emphasizes the ephemeral nature of art and the significant role of context in determining its meaning. She prefers her art to be the focus of public attention, rather than herself, a preference that was confirmed when she attended an opening dinner and found that no one knew who she was.
Despite the challenges her method presents, Leung's work has been widely exhibited, including her current exhibition, 'Reproductions', at n.b.k., Chaussestr. 128-129, Mitte, through Aug 3. In 2023, she was even nominated for the prestigious Turner Prize.
Leung's work, such as 'Bosses' (2023), discusses motherhood and the impossibility of constant availability, themes that are often hidden in the art world but are brought to the forefront by Leung's unconventional approach. By creating a practice that fits her life and by not policing the work, Leung has built a supportive structure that allows her to take risks in her work.
In a world where the art industry often values high production value and multiple assistants, Leung stands as a beacon of authenticity, challenging the status quo and encouraging a more honest conversation about the collective effort that goes into creating art.
- Ghislaine Leung's unconventional approach to art, where she delivers her work as open-ended instructions or 'scores', extends beyond the realm of art, encouraging dialogue about authorship, value, and permanence in lifestyle, relationships, education-and-self-development, and personal-growth.
- Just as Leung's 'In Care' piece exposes the often-invisible structures and systems in cultural production, understanding these systems becomes crucial in selecting books on entertainment or learning about the art world's inner workings.
- Leung's focus on the collective effort in creating art aligns with the pursuit of personal growth, promoting an environment that allows for risk-taking, autonomy, and support in the context of education-and-self-development, relationships, and one's lifestyle.
