CHRIS BYRNE’s MACHINE RUMOURS
A new hubCAP Gallery exhibition from Chris Byrne, entitled Machine Rumours, will celebrate the 1,000,061st birthday of Art Administration – and the week-long celebration will kick off with a birthday party on Monday 19th February.
The opening event (5pm – 9pm) complete with birthday cake, drinks, and nibbles, will be followed by an artist talk and week-long exhibition, all taking place at The Gatehouse (located on the grounds of Edinburgh College, Granton). Full schedule of events below.
In 1963, French Fluxus artist Robert Filliou suggested that 1,000,000 years ago, there was no art. But one day, on the 17th of January to be precise, Art was born. According to Filliou, it happened when someone dropped a dry sponge into a bucket of water.
In 2007, Canadian artist, curator, and art administrator Brian L. MacNevin declared that a little over a month after Art’s Birthday, over a million years ago, the object (a sponge in a bucket of water) from the Birth of Art was discovered, labeled artwork, acquisitioned, evaluated, documented, conserved/cared for, placed on exhibit, and pedagogically interpreted.
Henceforth 19th February became Art Administration’s birthday.
Edinburgh-based artist, educator, and curator Chris Byrne will celebrate the occasion of Art Administration’s Birthday with a presentation of new work developed and produced in response to the birth of art some 1,000,061 years ago.
Chris said: “For some time now I’ve been interested in how ideas are manifested through art. Not just the ideas themselves, but also the processes by which they become part of an artwork, and the modes of addressing the viewer.
“There is always an element of craft skill inherent in making any artwork, but art cannot be reduced to a display of virtuosity. Much of my work over the past decade has attempted to move away from the craft paradigm (complete escape is not possible) without crossing into the territory of anti-art. It’s more about which elements constitute an artwork, and how these are arranged for the spectator.
“The installation presented at hubCAP gallery centres around a sound recording made on Art’s Birthday 2024. The work seeks to integrate this artefact into the context of a celebration for Art Administration’s Birthday, and creating an exhibition within the gallery space. The objects, technical means and rhetorical gestures chosen are intended to echo some of the multi-layered origins and histories of ideas and practices referred to in the work.”
The week’s events will run as follows:
Birthday Procession: Leaving from HND CAP Studio (B202) Edinburgh College going to Gatehouse.
- Date: Monday 19th Feb
- Time: 5pm
Exhibition Preview & Birthday Celebration:
- Date: Monday, 19th February
- Time: 5 – 9 pm
Exhibition Hours:
- Dates: Tuesday, 20th – Sunday, 25th February
- Time: 12 – 4 pm daily
Artist’s Talk:
- Date: Tuesday, 20th February
- Time: 1 pm
About the Artist:
Chris Byrne engages with visual culture as an artist, curator, educator, and writer. Originally trained as a sculptor, Chris has long-standing interests in the moving image, networked and collaborative art practices, internet art, sound, and performance. He has organised numerous projects, exhibitions, performances, and residencies with artists across Scotland and internationally. Chris lectures in Context & Theory at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, Dundee. He currently leads the research dissertation component of undergraduate Design courses across DJCAD and teaches communication theory for Communication Design students.
About hubCAP Gallery:
hubCAP Gallery is an exhibitions and events organisation led by a rotating team of student artists from the HND Contemporary Art Practice (CAP) course at Edinburgh College. Founded in 2019 as part of the HND CAP Professional Practice and Exhibition program, hubCAP provides a platform for artists through a varied program of exhibitions, events, and publications. The self-funded organisation aims to foster dialogue, learning, and engagement with college, local, and wider communities.
Visit our website for more details: https://hubcapgallery.com
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