HYPNOTIC SHOW FAQ:
Q: What is Hypnotic Show?
A: A temporary social structure of engaging into creative cognitive acts through shared practices of art and hypnosis.
Q: What is the relationship between art and hypnosis?
A: Hypnotic power of artwork has always been a favorite trope of people looking for transformative potential of art. However instead of seeing “hypnotic power” as a rhetorical figure Hypnotic Show aims at reducing art practice to the method of pure hypnosis. According to biometrics it connects to the brain faster.
Q: Why brain?
A: It is the ultimate destination of neuro-social engineering as well subjectivities of yet-to-be- invented. From the perspective of ceaseless production and total transparency* brain is seen as a final frontier to be colonised, from the perspective of individual subjectivity – as a last resort of things not-to-be-known. Hypnotic Show positions itself on both ends of the perspective.
Q: How does Hypnotic Show work?
A: When all spaces undergo gentrification and you think that your very inner subjectivity will remain a space of a strictly personal order your brain-waves are being measured against you
Q: No, no, but how does it work technically?
A: A number of invited artists have submitted proposals for Marcos Lutyens to be performed on the audience through a session of hypnosis.
Q: Can my girlfriend attend the séance?
A: Of course, please tell her to RSVP to sign up for a seance that will take place (time TBC) at…
(So far the show took place at Silverman Gallery, San Francisco; Artists Space, New York; Amsterdam Kunstwerein; Kadist Art Foundation, Paris; Labor, Mexico City)
Q: Is it true that hypnosis can convince in a value of certain artwork against my will? A: Multiple techniques are used in promoting arts value, hypnosis is just one of them.
Q: What remains after this show?
A: Reconfiguration of principles about workings or art and mind implied by artists proposal.
Q: What is the relation of Hypnotic Show to The Man Who Taught Blake to Paint in His Dreams drawing by William Blake?
A: It is not clear in this painting whether the Man was teaching painting in his dreams and Blake had access to that knowledge telematically or whether Blake was taught how to make paintings in his dreams. Or both.
Q: Will there be any works of artists made under the influence of Hypnosis?
A: No, Hypnotic Show is aimed at induce trance rather than show its static records.
Q: Is it an empty show?
A: A show in your head will never be empty. There will be possibly a dream-machine of Burroughs and Gysin installed in the gallery.
Q: Did it take place anywhere before?
A: Yes, at Jessica Silverman gallery in San Francisco in 2008 and Artists Space in NYC in 2009.
Q: What are the inspirations of Hypnotic Show?
A: Works of many artists including Graham Gussin, Matt Mullican, Ann Lislegaard, Pedro Reyes, Warren Neidich, Cerith Wyn Evans; conversations with Fernando Delmar, Pascal Rousseau as well as work of all the artists participating in Hypnotic Show with proposals.
Q: Is Hypnotic Show about collaboration?
A: Not really, but the relationship between hypnotist and the audience should be be described as collaboration.
Q: Can I buy I a hypnotic artwork?
A: Not at this moment. However soon you will be able not only to buy, but commission a hypnotic artwork created especially for you or to be able to induce your own hypnotic artwork on your friend out of pure love. Or both.
Sofia Hernandez Chong Cuy‘s report of The Hypnotic Show at at Artists Space, New York (2009)
The Hypnotic Show at CAPC musée d’art contemporainde Bordeaux (2011)
The Hypnotic Show at Documenta 13 (2012)
The Hypnotic Show at Kadist Foundation (2012)