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The Guide
SYNOPSIS:
The idea of sending a message from my future self in 2012 was a residue from two projects. With these instructions one was also interested in setting up a fictitious narrative extracted from real events where one had experienced moments of hesitation.
The first impetus was inspired from a collaborative project facilitated by Per Hüttner and Daniele Balit. Invisible Generation explored the idea about sending a message from the future to the present in the hope of making any necessary adjustments to enable a different future to be realized.
The second motivation was inspired by a Centre For Ideas seminar that I was previously involved in called Do It. The premise for the project was to make a work based from an instruction, and using whatever materials was at hand, only then to dematerialise the work back to its original state.
One then was interested in continuing this legacy with the aim to see and feel the presence of praxis in her studio training.
I then invited six authors from the VCAM studio who have an object-based practice, to write instructions for a work to be made in a day. This was to be under the condition that the author pretended to be Ann from the year 2012.
The artist then wrote the remaining eight, where only twelve instructions were realised each day until the 7th October 2009, the day of the critique.
Ann Fuata
2009
EXTRACT FROM THE ARTIST BOOK:
Contents
I. An Apology
II. Synopsis
III. Six Authors
IV. Uncooked
'Rival Planes'
'Soul'
V. A Task For The Day
'Mathematical Tropos'
'Gentle Bifurcation'
'Drawing Sounds'
'Prosthesis Harbinger'
'Doorways'
'Rebirth'
'Floral Sample'
'Yes'
'Red Dot'
'Emotive Elixir'
'Zizek Process'
'Double Check'
I. An Apology
Dear Ann in 2012,
Fourteen Instructions have been written by you in which, only twelve were realised over twelve days in the lead up to a studio critique, scheduled for the 7th of October 2009.
I am sorry to have let you down and to the scribes with whom you’ve possessed.
I also sincerely hope you have not suffered severely as a consequence of my (yours, our) past actions, or lack of.
Anywho, may this letter find you well, somewhere, somehow.
With gratitude,
Ann
October 2009
P.S. Just to let you know that as I am (was) writing this, I found a marble randomly near the computer. Excuse the pun, but at least not all our marbles have been lost!
III. Six Authors
INDEBTED GRATITUDE to the generosity of each Author’s time and contribution to the development
of the latest incarnation. Much appreciated!
Anna Miller-Yeaman
Aaron Cooper
Benjamin Woods
Claire Garrioch
Laura Whitfield
Micheal Duncun
IV. Uncooked
“Rival Planes”
Dear Ann,
This is Ann (you) from the future! I need you to read very carefully because EVERYTHING relies on it! Something went really wrong in the future but have the opportunity to prevent it. I need you to make some paper aeroplanes and have a compeititon with them. Challenge at least ten people.
Whoever throws the paper aereoplane the farthest is the winner.
Keep a tally on how many times you win. This will seem very random but in time, you will understand why it is so important.
Good luck,
From Ann in 2012
“Soul”
Ann,
This is a message from your future self in 2012. Today the 16th October 2012, you have been diagnosed with blindness.
At present, I am feeling bereft by the loss of this ability to see and long to remember what it is like to look into a stranger’s eyes.
I want you then to record each time you exchange glances with someone’s eyes and notice what expressions reside in them, at that moment in time.
Ann
V. A Task For The Day
“Mathematical Tropos”
Ann,
Read these instructions one at a time as you go, don’t read them beforehand.
1. Take a piece of paper and fold in half diagonally.
2. Fold it again on the opposite diagonal, so you have an X.
3. Now take a black pen and place a dot or circle just above the intersection of the folds.
4. Draw an even circle around it and another larger around that. Continue like this until you need to stop.
5. Fold up the paper along both diagonals at once so you now have a triangle, and using a piece of wood (any size, any type) and try to pierce the paper through the centre dot you first drew.
6. Now forget about it for any length of time and if/when/each time you remember it, move it to a different place.
From your future self in 2012,
Ann.
'Gentle Bifurcation'
25/09/2012
Ann,
Remove yourself from the tasks of your day (any day) by placing someone else or something else in your stead.
With love,
Ann Fuata
'Drawing Sounds'
Ann,
At particular times in the day stop, "listen" and make a drawing of the sound you are hearing. The idea is not to draw what could be making the sound, but rather how does the sound feel? Concentrate on the waves and vibrations and use these to direct your hand and stimulate your imagination. Become open to new sounds and appreciate the vastness of the audiotory information that you recieve at every moment.
Make 5 drawings in response to whatever you hear, whereever you are at these particular times (make drawings quickly, spend no longer than 3-5 mins).
1. What is the first sound that you hear in the morning?
2. What is the farthest sound you can hear at 11.00am?
3. What is the lowest frequency you can hear at 2.30pm?
4. What is the highest frequency you can hear at 6.15pm?
5. What repetitive sounds can you hear at 10.45pm?
With these, make and record sounds in response to your drawings. That is, how do your drawings stimulate your audial imagination?
From your future self in 2012,
Ann Fuata.
'Prosthesis Harbinger'
Dear Ann,
This is yourself from the year 2012.
Im writing to warn you of unfortunate circumstances that result in the loss of areas of your body.
Firstly you will lose your right index finger.
Secondly, later, you will lose both your eyebrows.
Thirdly and most alarmingly you lose the ability to feel hunger.
These losses occur due to no fault of your own. Perhaps these losses may appear slightly trivial. I however I write to tell you I wish I had taken greater care of these parts now I no longer have them.
For one day from waking to sleeping please develop a greater awareness of
your right index finger, your eyebrows and your feeling of hunger.
Please carry a pen and paper on you at all time. Every time you use your right ndex finger- record it.
Every time you become aware of your eyebrows- record it.
Every time you desire food -record it. Please write one sentence descriptions of the time and circumstances in which you become aware of these parts.
Take care of your body,
Ann
'Doorways'
Dear Ann,
It's me Ann!
I'm you, typing to you/me from the future!!
"how goes it back there in times and spaces of the past? have things changed from when I was/am around?"
So... to the point of this message...
I am asking you to count every doorway you pass through in one day.....
just do it for one day... don't ask why, just trust what I'm telling you/ me!
You'll understand soon...
Love you the most.
Kind regards,
your loving self...Nan-pants!