Co Op Sculpture
Ownership vs possession
A sculpture owned by many, possessed by none. Crowdsourced ownership of a luxury good.
This work is a volumetric painting, linear visual genes spliced and interleaved in layers. Each layer is to be owned by a different entity (person, institution, corporation, foundation) from around the world, with none ever able to fully possess the work. A public institution (i.e. MoMA could be a designated custodian for a period of time or exhibition.)
Each layer, 'floor' (share?) will come with a deed. A didactic plaque by the work will mention the owners. After purchase, each floor can be gifted, inherited or sold to a third party into the future. Perhaps ownership of the 'floor' or physical share could be subdivided, meaning that over decades, ownership in the work would increase. A wealthy collector could buy multiple floors, and perhaps hundreds of people could together buy a small a floor or subdivision. This means that everybody -- not just those able to afford luxuries -- can 'own' art. Real estate, economics, stock market, bitcoin, capitalism/socialism as art that all can participate in.
The work can't be possessed, kept in a private mansion or hidden in a vault or free port. Because it is collectively owned, value, profit, speculation is at question. If the work in its entirety can't be possessed, does it have value? Will some 'floors' of the architectonic sculpture be worth more than others (penthouse vs basement) though basically all part of the same work? Why buy when you can't possess? Material object vs. idea. Private vs. public space. Consumerism as altruism? Big projects possible only through collective effort (or finance?). Could the work be sold, the work split up, if everyone agreed? Would someone eventually want to own all the works? Could a 'floor' be split into different owners? Could each owner share time of owning?
THEMES:
Crowdsourcing, speculation, capital, commerce, speculation, art for art's sake, wealth ownership, perceived value, common goals, the individual with in the broader community. And post creation, the work can become a game: Monopoly
The first sculpture are layers of interleaved stacked painted metal and glass, with some layers opaque, some transparent.
The second sculpture is painted with different drifts of color from each side and top, to provide unique reveals from all directions, including above. The second iteration is either layers or rectilinear modular joined parts.