This slumping row-house in London’s Charterhouse Square is not a “building” per se, but rather an objet-d’art from the Stunt-and-Clutter school of contemporary art called “A Week at the Knees” by one Alex Chinneck. I confess, I don’t even get the verbal gag. Seems like a non-sequitur to me. But so is most of the production from Stunt-and-Clutter Ltd.
The aim is to astound the public with startling originality. Since there are no longer that many new things under the sun, this calls for ever more extreme ventures into the absurd and hallucinatory. Between the general overload of Internet-generated info civilized folks are subjected to these days, and the new over-lay of paranormal mischief inherent to artificial intelligence, we are becoming a society increasingly untethered from reality.
So, then it must be celebrated, right? As we celebrate every other psychical abnormality foisted on us by the grant recipients of what passes for the culture industry.
One might say what you get here is a perfect domicile for the drug-addled homeless. Living in the tunnel created by this undulation, they could find exactly the kind of home that suits them, without sacrificing their identity as "homeless.” Genius!!
Salutes to J. David Green for the nomination!
Little from the UK makes any sense these days.
More of a 'meh' from me for this one. Like nearly all 'conceptual' art (including the likes of Banksy), it's far shallower than it imagines. This, though, is made much worse by it ruining the view of the wonderful old Charterhouse building behind it. Originally built as a priory in 1371, Charterhouse was much expanded to become a beautiful Tudor courtyard house. Well worth visiting if you're in London!