Grant Pooke Considers the Altermodern and its Role in Contemporary Art

In his book Contemporary British Art Grant Pooke mentions that Bourriaud features in the book The History of British Art 1870-Now (2008) edited by Chris Stephens (fourth volume) and that he talks about developments since the millennium.

He also notes that a change happens inline or aided by the exhibition British Art Show 6 (Sept 2005-2006). ‘As the co-curators Alex Farquharson and Andrea Schlieker noted, the cultural diversity of contemporary British art could no longer be ‘attributed to the post-colonial diaspora alone’, but to the interesting dynamic of globalisation.’

Pooke relates this observation to Tate Britain’s Fourth Triennial Exhibition and Bourriaud’s manifesto for the Altermodern and draws upon Bourriaud’s use of the word ‘translation’ as an implementing of new languages in an overly westernised arena of historical identities. He says that the suggestion of the Altermodern reveals the cultural practice is ‘informed by hybridity, mobility and translation.’ (Pooke 2011 p11). That it puts the artist as ‘traveller’ in a state of ‘flux’ as they are affected by the ‘now’ of society and geography in which they are located. The implication is that the social context is now eminent out weighing the role of Modernism.

Pooke highlights the relationship Bourriaud’s ideas have with post-colonial theorists Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri’s work Empire (2000). He suggests that the two share the vision of an international market that taps and encourages new audiences for the corporate good. Pooke also highlights though that he has doubts about whether Altermodern as a term can appear in the pure state that Bourriaud indicates. He cites Sarat Maharaj and how he talks about a bridge between western and non-western cultures which is difficult to cross without simplifying many complex meanings and languages and that in a sense it is untranslatable. Pooke is talking about identity and it’s many nuances and its relationship to the assumed British identity but that this should be questioned making the argument for the Altermodern even more complex if fixed identity is also in a constant state of flux.

‘Increasingly, within the ‘expanded field’ of cultural production and proximities, artists hybridise styles, formats and media.’ (Pooke, 2011 p5)

In what respect does my work fit into an Altermodern discourse, if at all?

Nickolas Lambrianou in 2009 writes in the journal Mute about the term Altermodern:

"Bourrriaud launches the term via a rebranding of the fourth Tate Triennial for which he is this year's guest curator. But also with a book, a series of events before, during and after the exhibition, and even a manifesto, published on the Tate website."
 
This highlighting of a manifesto, or set of rules, seems to compound Nicolas Bourrriaud's seriousness and his intention as to establish this as a viable movement.

Lambrianou makes it clear that Bourriaud is using a range of tools to explain this new approach of Altermodernism. But he also goes to great lengths to question whether Altermodernism is actually another Postmodern state. He asks whether the description of Altermodernism is simply a way for contemporary artists to release the shackles of the post modern mantle and the associated confusion.
 
Lambrianou goes on to describe some of the artwork in the Altermodern Tate exhibition, which demonstrates a very broad range of styles and media, yet the freedom that he mentions at the beginning of the article, as in relations to Altermodernism taking in many international influences, he disregards when talking about painting and says:

 
"It's as if there is an anxiety about mere painting in itself not been quite Altermodern enough."

Franz Ackermann Gateway-Getaway 2009

This statement is in particular reference to the work of Franz Akermann who's large relief canvases are mixed with architectural constructions some of these potentially clichéd aesthetic touches and for him, on some level, unnecessary. Yet, he suggests that they have been become part of these works because of the Altermodern association.

 
Lambrianou based upon his exploration of the  altar modern theme sees the stronger pieces in the exhibition that truly represent the supposed new movement as having elements of narrative or a journey from one place to another. In Simon starlings Three White Desks 2008-09 he examines the history of a desk and his relationship to the journey, a work that Lambrianou links to the Altermoden agenda.

He goes on to highlight the narrative within two more works in the exhibition. He seems to suggest the elements of the Altermodern manifest imply an international movement, that the art work in some way has to demonstrate multicultural aspects which for him seem to suggest a narrative.

These narratives are international. If I engage in an international discourse then am I moving closer to the Altermodern agenda and if I remain in one location is my spectrum to narrow to engage with this agenda? It is hard to know at this stage in my work especially seeing painting within the Altermodern landscape seems to be questioned by Lambrianou.

Bibliography

BOURRIAUD, N (ed.) (2009) Altermodern: Tate Triennial 2009, Tate, UK

LAMBRIANOU, N (2009) Altermodern: Movement or Marketing, in Mute (available at http://www.metamute.org)

OBRIST, H (2008) A Brief History of Curating, JRP Ringier, UK, p.10