No Soul For Sale – Festival of Independents | Tate Modern’s 10th Anniversary.

Photos from No Soul For Sale at Tate Modern.

Last weekend {14-16 May 2010}, Tate Modern hosted an event titled “No Soul For Sale – Festival of Independents” as part of the gallery’s 10th anniversary.

For this free arts festival, Tate Modern invited 70 of the world’s most innovative independent art spaces to take over the Turbine Hall. The festival filled the iconic space, as well as the Starr Auditorium, with an eclectic mix of cutting-edge arts events, performances, music and film.

No Soul For Sale is a festival that brings together the most exciting non-profit centres, alternative institutions, artists’ collectives and underground enterprises from around the world. The participants are encouraged to show whatever they choose, be it art, performance, video, publications, or simply themselves.

Neither a fair nor an exhibition, No Soul For Sale is a convention of individuals and groups who devote their energies to art they believe in, beyond the limits of the market and other logistical constraints – it is a celebration of the independent forces that animate contemporary art. The festival is an exercise in coexistence: organisations exhibit alongside one another without partitions or walls, creating a pop-up art village.

The festival was curated by Cecilia Alemani, Maurizio Cattelan and Massimiliano Gioni, and produced by Tate Modern. The first edition of No Soul For Sale took place in June 2009 at X initiative in the former Dia Center for the Arts in New York.

My friend and partner in crime, Mark Leib, attended the festival last weekend. He took these fantastic photos and here he shares with us some of his favourites. I’m sure you’ll agree with me that Mark’s review and his way of expressing himself is absolutely friggin’ hilarious!! I didn’t have the heart to edit the text so I bring it to you raw.

Thank you Mark. Over and out.

x dana

More photos from No Soul For Sale.

“Overall it was an interesting show. Some of the collectives were not all that progressive… most were fun, some had great ideas.

Most impressive thing was that it is an engaging concept, lots to see, very busy, lots of children which was very refreshing, quite a bit of participation, a market place of ideas, not a rigid show…

On my way out a 10 year old girl was having her haircut on a stand…. I picked up a used pizza box (to barter with-see below!) and it was part of a stand – oops!

There was music too, but missed all of that…

Oh, random favourite – the double bunny hoodie… fucking superb !!!! And the cut out old Tate art catalogues were lovely.”

Mark’s “random favourite” on the left – double bunny hoodie. Is it just me, or is that hoodie completely hilarious?!

Le Dictateur Magazine

Frederick Pepe Milano

“Le Dictateur”: the magazine is to be thought of as a state, a space where artists, photographers, fashion world protagonists live together, arbitrarily selected and invited. Some are famous, some are extremely famous, some are totally unknown: they earned their citizenship because they have been wanted there, and they each became dictators of their own pages.

“Le Dictateur” magazine.

“Thoughtful pages, leaflet, holograms, relief printing, multicolored ribbon bookmark, numbered white boxed set with wax seal. Exclusive works by 15 international artists in a luxurious case that pushes the boundaries of what an artist’s book is. They had a special edition ( no.3) of their very high quality / beautiful  publication…especially for the show – art photography, installation and sculpture by 22 Italian artists.

Plus they brought a CRAZY ASS transvestite rock bloke singing/shouting alt-punk noise with electric guitar… fun+classy+great helium balloon logo thing!”

Jerusalem Souvenirs

Barbur is a non-profit gallery and artists group based in Jerusalem. Working individually and as a group, Barbur members share a distinct sensibility about making and exhibiting art. We try to have a meaningful effect on our surroundings, for the benefit of the larger community, while enjoying the freedom of having our own platform for experiments and discussion. The location of Barbur – the heart of Jerusalem, is a source for constant reevaluation and negotiation.

Jerusalem Souvenirs and Marks prediction for “future force in comics” in top two images. {You read it here first peeps!}

“The Barbur group set up a workshop making really cute handmade what look like souvenirs.. maybe not meant to be!! A lovely relaxed environment… I sat next to a cool 7 year old getting into a drawing “master chopstick and the giant”- he will be a future force in comics!!

They were so kind to let me make a barter object – the 98 weeks were not selling anything, you had to barter for their stuff.. So I made it here!! (see 98 weeks bit)”

Black Dog’s Pub

Black Dogs is an artist collective with a fluid and dynamic membership whose activity spans formal exhibitions, publications, events, interventions, workshops, social engagement and curatorial activity. Formed in Leeds in 2003 as a means to conduct artistic activity in the city at a self-organized level, Black Dogs subscribes to a DIY ethos of not-for-profit motivation and ideals of active participation. The collective aims, through artistic activity, to uncover and experiment with alternatives to capital-driven society.

…..we decided to use our presence at the event as a way to prompt discussion between visitors and participating groups about the nature of independent and radically not-for-profit art activity. We phrased this conundrum as ‘How Not To Sell Your Soul at No Soul for Sale’ and created a space in which this discussion could take place.

As we were obliged to spend up to 14 hours a day in the space without pay or remuneration for materials, travel or other expenses we made a decision to turn our space into a pub. This was both a way of transporting our usual meeting space into the Tate – demonstrating how the group operates – and addressed our own solution to the ‘How not to sell your soul’ puzzler; that being, ‘Make sure you have a good time!’

Visitors to the space were invited to have a chat about notions of recuperation and co-optation in the Artworld whilst watching members of Black Dogs drink booze. Beer mats were provided as a way of gathering and displaying advice alongside A3 posters that had been contributed in advance through an open call for submissions and by contacting other participating groups”

Black Dog’s Pub.

How annoying!!! Watching them drink beer!!! But they couldn’t sell/give it away.. AHHHH!!! It was busy and we needed a drink!!!
There were kids playing on a foosball table, plastic ducks, a bust of Beethoven and old English pub furniture… ACE!!!

Musical Plants

Musical Plants – Mark’s favourite installation {although he reckons it really need a video – oh well…}

Ok, my favourite!!!!

The OPS had connected house plants to analogue sequencers, amps and speakers… you touch two plants at a time and the circuit connects and the sound appears… you “massage” the leaves and stems… erotic, sensual, relaxing, stimulating, intimate, so nice  to “communicate ” with green living friends hahahaha… brilliant! It needs video really.

The Drawings Shed

The Drawing Shed, a black shed on green flooring, on which invited artists created new works of art during the 3 day event. This fluid artwork changed and developed as each artist contributed new elements and it was developed throughout the event.

The Drawing Shed.

“When I was there, they had 2 mathematicians solving math equations on the shed. Then they left and an artist stared drawing.”

98 Weeks

The Poet and the Butterfly. A Bazaar Display.

98 Weeks – Bazaar Display. Mark made a barter object for the photo on the right.

I made a barter object for the photo {shown in right photo above}… Ireally wanted it when I saw it – it is by a graphic designer based in Beirut called Karine Wehbe.

I ran around the Turbine hall as I had to exchange it for a “useless white object” – really hard – but eventually found a great Arabic hand shaped pencil eraser in the Barbur workshop. I added an old price tag from the Tate gift shop and filled it in with Arabic decoration…

Result? I got the art. YES!

It is a photo from Lebanon from August ’73. An overweight tourist kisses his partner in front of a ancient site and scaffolding.. Ace!!!

A few random detail shots from No Soul For Sale.