In this project, we will be looking at the body of work Equilibre/Quiet Afternoon (1984–5) by Fischli and Weiss.
it is the objects themselves that are clever, holding an inherent ability to fit together and to
balance that is quite apart from their intended practical, mundane function.-Fischli and Weiss’s Equilibre/Quiet Afternoon (1984-5) by Rachel Wells
Equilibre is ‘balanced’ in French. How are these works balanced? It is obvious that they are physically balanced, but what other kind of balance could they be? In this assignment your goal is to explore juxtapositions and absurdity by fitting some objects together in a fashion that transforms them from the mundane into the sculptural. The line where that happens is elusive. What causes a group of objects to make that transition?
This project is broken into a series of short steps. Check the calendar for due dates for each step.
Part 1: Read the article Fischli and Weiss’s Equilibre/Quiet Afternoon (1984-5) by Rachel Wells. I have put this article in a link on the sidebar of the class Blackboard page. Use this link and read the article here. This will allow the class to collaboratively annotate the article. We will look at this in class. Each person in the class must make at least 3 annotations. You may annotate using text or images. Try responding to the article in meme form!
Part 2: Create a temporary work in the style of Fischli and Weiss’ Equilibre/Quiet Afternoon using found objects from around the house. Focus on asymmetrical balance, movement, color, juxtaposition, and absurdity. Look for materials that don’t necessarily belong together, i.e. don’t use exclusively kitchen tools. Mix it up a little.
As you are working on your piece, find a spot with a clear backdrop (use the example images as your guide) and set your work in this space. Put your phone in a good spot and shoot a time lapse video of creating your construction. You may include the failure or edit them out.
Turn in both a high quality image and the time lapse video of your work to your blog.
