Artist Talk: Common Culture
Wednesday 18 May 2011
Founded in Liverpool in 1996, the artists’ group, Common Culture, have consistently produced artworks that seek to question the social dimensions of advertising, stand-up comedians, nightclub bouncers, fast-food, shopping, tribute singers and discos. It is the collision between the elitist assumptions attached to Art and its institutions, and the perceived commonplace and vulgar aspects of popular culture that preoccupy the three members of this group. For Common Culture venerated and vernacular forms are bound up with issues of taste, class and notions of national identity. From their earlier ‘Menus’ series (1997-2003) to more recent projects such as ‘Binge’ (2008), questions of social interaction, exploitation and excess are unravelled and cajoled, often unflinchingly in photography, videos, installation and performance works.
A recent work, The New El Dorado (2010) - commissioned for Manifesta 8 in Murcia - humorously explored cultural consumption, tourism and the tradition of the historical ‘Grand Tour'.
Tickets are free, but booking is recommended commonculture.eventbrite.com
