Whitney Shoes
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MediumVideo
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Year2000
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Filming Location2000 Whitney Biennial, NYC
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Websitesintron.org
About
"Whitney Shoes" is a conceptual video artwork that explores the idea of participation and representation in the art world. The artwork is a result of SINTRON winning the eBay auction titled "Chance to be a Whitney Artist," organized by RTMark. The auction provided the winner a chance to attend the 2000 Whitney Biennial at the Whitney Museum in New York City and have their work featured at the biennial.
Instead of attending the biennial, SINTRON sent representatives on his behalf to attend and collect artifacts. One of the artifacts produced was a video of the Whitney 2000 Biennial gala, which is the centerpiece of the "Whitney Shoes" artwork. The video footage mostly focuses on the shoes or the floor due to security barriers to filming.
The video is accompanied by mid-20th century footage of technological advances and warnings, which adds an eerie and prophetic tone to the artwork. The footage warns of potential dangers posed by technological advancements and how they could impact society.
Whitney Shoes Video
Overall, "Whitney Shoes" is a thought-provoking subversion artwork that critiques the art world's representation and participation systems. By not physically attending the biennial, SINTRON challenges the traditional notion of participation in the art world and instead focuses on collecting artifacts and creating a video artwork that showcases the mundane aspects of the event.
Additionally, the mid-20th century footage warns of the potential consequences of technological advancements, which aligns with SINTRON's broader artistic practice of exploring the impact of technology on society. The use of shoes and the floor as the primary focus of the video emphasizes how the art world's structures can limit artists' ability to fully participate and be represented in the industry.
Overall, "Whitney Shoes" is a compelling conceptual video artwork that challenges traditional notions of participation and representation in the art world while also exploring broader societal concerns.
The Whitney Shoes video has a runtime of 11 minutes and 44 seconds and includes audio.
