Well yes, precisely. But it’s actually the point in the case of Michael Landy’s new installation work at the South London Gallery on Peckham Road. It opened on January 29th and over six weeks, the 600 metre square refuge container is available for artists ( those who apply, not everyone’s work can be professed a failure to the public) to hurl their less successful creations into its depths for all to see. Landy, who has previously destroyed all of his possessions for an exhibition (‘Break Down’ 2001) makes interesting comment on the value put on belongings with particular comment to the issues of authorship and ownership.Indeed as I submitted some of my own youthful yet disappointing mono-prints it felt bizarre completing a written form for their imminent demise. Each of the five prints were carefully measured and photographed before I eventually climbed a spiral staircase and said goodbye to the juvenile pieces forever. However, by the time the prints had floated to the bottom of the pile I caught a glimpse of a giant skull canvas: Damien Hirst has also contributed to Landy’s ‘monument to creative failure’ as well as other artists like Tracey Emin and Julian Opie. For my part I found the experience rather refreshing and the smash and crunch of other’s works was punctuated often by the owner’s sigh of satisfaction or a burst of contained laughter. However, Landy has received criticism from both environmental activists about waste issues and art critics who are questioning the moral rights of the artist- whether for art’s sake work should not be trashed. But I have been informed that the works will be recycled as far as they can be and the contents of the Art Bin will become a landfill when the exhibition is over, or as the artist calls it a Landyfill. The exhibition continues until March 14th.
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