Nir Segal
The Flat Diamond: the role of intimacy in a collaborative practice
The Flat Diamond is a conceptual and theoretical object that operates as a proposition and invitation to explore the values of collaborative art practice; the work’s central concern is exploring the roles of the author and of narrative in the generation of value in an artwork. As identified by Claire Bishop in her book Artificial Hells, most collaborative artworks presented in an institutional context are singularly authored by a named individual or group, the Flat Diamond questions the validity of this standard and proposes the idea of dispensed authorship: a mode of representation that posits the possibility of collective/subjective ownership of collaborative work.
Featured Media
EARN event, Slade Research Centre, Slade School of Fine Art.
Dr Leni Dothan
The works that make up this research include performances, invitations, events, and proposals; each of which helps to develop the argument for an art practice that embraces modes of collaboration, facilitation and dispensed authorship. The representation and authorship of such work is explored in this report, which deploys the reflective/subjective account of its author alongside witness testimonies of collaborators, which are presented as the portfolio in the second volume of this research, to explore how collective work might be narrated.
The generative/discursive methods and structures developed over the course of this research have already been used to help support communication in patients with aphasia, and it is also envisaged that the work will contribute to discourses around art practice, collaboration and authorship.
As a result of this research, I identified a number of values that relate to collaboration, the most significant being the value of intimacy, which sits alongside terms such trust, belief, kindness and generosity. In this report, I wish to argue that intimacy is an essential state in the collaborative act and retrospectively ask, ‘In what way does a collaboration perform intimacy, and what does intimacy enable in the act of making?
Links
- Two Art, Raw Gallery: http://www.rawart-gallery.com/exhibition/nir-segal-two-work/
- There is a Light that Never Goes Out: http://www.rawart-gallery.com/exhibition/nir-segal-and-eloise-fornieles-there-is-a-light/
- Outset residency at Baker Street: https://outset.org.uk/supported-projects/residency-at-baker-street/
- Thirst Day at Outset: https://outset.org.uk/supported-projects/thirst-day/
Supervisors
Primary: Jo Volley
Secondary and third: Late Professor Edward Allington and Dr Hayley Newman
Contact
email: nirsegal@mac.com
Instagram
www.instagram.com/nirsegal
Nir Segal PhD images
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The Fabric of Memory, Nir Segal, 2018
Collaboration with Dr Nuala Morse and University of Leicester, as part of Being Human Festival, Attenborough Arts Centre, Leicester
Nir Segal and Jenni Hunt
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Installation shot of Untitled, Nir Segal, 2017
Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art
Tal Nisim
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The Flat Diamond Cafe, Nir Segal, 2016Documentation from the private view of Two Work, RawArt Gallery, Tel Aviv.
Tamar Tal
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Installation shot of The Mother I am, Nir Segal, 2017, Painting, table, table lamp, vinyl stickers, wooden coins, an ultrasound scan a photo of Briana Mohler, the surrogate of our daughter, whilst pregnant visiting Father ChristmasSlade School of Fine Art.
Nir Segal
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All the Treadmills are Desperate, Nir Segal, 2016, treadmills, mics, speakers, soundtrack, and light setting
Video still from the private view of Two Work, RawArt Gallery, Tel Aviv.During the private view and two other occasions all of the artists went together on the treadmills as a way to exhibit the conversation machine at its full power. This meant there were spaces for five more people who wished to join the conversations.
Ophir Ben Shimon
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Documentation of Ghost Ethics in the Black Board Cafe, Nir Segal, collaboration with Dr Mathelinda Nabugodi, 2015EARN event, Slade Research Centre, Slade School of Fine Art.
Dr Leni Dothan
