EXPOSICIONES <<>> UTSTÄLLNINGAR



The Wanås experience
An interactive visit
11 June 2016












Rubén Aguilera
Bengt Backlund
Clemens Conrad
Zaher Dabjan
Marietta Friberg
Agnes Juhaz
Ximena Narea

Text by Ximena Narea

An exhibition gives the spectator at least two options as to how to be observed or interacted with  the "distant" or "do not touch" option and the "interactive" or "please touch me option". In the first option the viewer observes and looks at the objects presented to her/him without having any physical contact with them. There is a physical distance between the beholder and the presented object. In many exhibitions there is even a sign indicating that the exhibit should not be touched. This of course is understandable in many cases. You don't really need to touch the Mona Lisa to perceive the figure and speculate about the artist's intentions with the painting. The spectator could however feel the need to touch a realistic painting in order to convince her/himself that she/he is indeed in front of a two dimensional object and that the three-dimensionality is just an illusion, which is in turn part of the cognitive process. 

The second option offers the spectator the choice to touch and interact with the exhibit. There are indeed times in which the cognitive process needs more than the eyes to feel like the process is complete. People tend to use all their senses to learn about something that awakens their interest. In trying to do so the person selects the senses that she/he think are necessary to understand, and uses them. You could argue that you don't need to touch a three-dimensional exhibit to get the concept (specially if the title is close to the piece), but in that case you are recurring to your storage experience to make the connections needed to understand.

We were seven people from different countries, all living in Sweden, with different backgrounds who decided to interact with the pieces exhibited in the park. It was a very enriching experience which we fully recommend.

The park has exhibited 70 works of art from 1987 to 2015 (tendria que ser 2016?) . Many well known artist are on the list. Just a few of them: Roxy Paine, Miroslaw Balka, Antony Gormley, Marina Abramovich, Yoko Ono, Carl Fredrik Reutenswärd, Per Kirkeby, Ann-Sofi Sidén, Gunilla Bandolin, . 

Not every piece is still in the park as I can remenber but the 70 the visitor can see now are many and the visitor can take a long walk and enjoy the nature and the works that she/he may find through the journey. We were in the park for about six hours. Here is our interactive experience. 
Natali Djurberg & Hans Berg
In Dreams, 2016
Molly Haslund
Swings, 2014
Robert Wilson
A house for Edwin Denby, 2000
Antony Gormley
Together and Apart, 1998
Jeppe Hein
Modified social bench#11, 2013
Marianne Lindberg De Geer
I am thinking about myself, 2003
Gloria Friedmann
Stigma, 1991
Malin Holmberg
I will stop loving you, 2010
Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd
Interlettre, 1984-85
Per Kirkeby
Wanås, 1994