To Whom It May Concern.
Five Years: Code of Practice.
A Draft. Being Drawn. Read.
Part Three.
Five Years
Saturday 5 November 2022
Gallery Open 12 - 6pm
Two Discussions recorded at Five Years. Open to Anyone.
1-3pm Five Years: Code of Practice.
A Draft. Being Drawn. Read. Part 3.
4-6pm Five Years: Open To Anyone.
Possible recorded discussion. To be confirmed.
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Saturday 5 November 2022
1-3pm Five Years: Code of Practice.
A Draft. Being Drawn. Read. Part 3.
Recorded Discussion. Open to anyone.
An ongoing working document. A possible working practice.
Part 1
Code of Practice. To Whom It May Concern. Was an open invitation to anyone concerned (whether a member of Five Years or not) to contribute to a series of discussions, that were recorded in the space at Five Years 25-26 September 2021. Discussions that revolved around how Five Years could operate. A code of Practice.
Part 2
Code of Practice: A fragmented and expanded open text. The subsequent recorded material/draft transcript exists now as an anonymized text, to be edited freely by those who shared in its making. And by anyone who wants to further concern themselves. In practice, this means developing a way, an open form, in which participants take part in production. That is, the subsequent transcription, editing and arrangement of the process of publishing the recorded material. Taking shared responsibility for drawing up of a prospective working code of practice for Five Years. As an artists’ organisation. As a self-constituted practice in free association. Where continuing opportunity to work out how ‘membership’ and ‘participation’ in Five Years can be openly addressed: ‘Its’ principals of organisational co-operation. As collaborators, co-creators, interlocutors. As artists. As equals.
Part 3
A speculative and ongoing working document. Open to anyone.
Participants have allowed their own parts in the conversation to be read. Begun to edit as seen fit. Further drafting is presented here at Five Years. The lengthy transcription of this open and public conversation, anonymized and repositioned operates as reading material for sharing in continued discussion.
Discursive encounters and decision-making processes. Supporting the sometimes conflicting drives of creative autonomy, artistic collaboration, dialogue and the exchange of ideas. To an extent functioning as a sustained experiment in whether individual artistic agency and dissenting perspectives on cultural production can be supported in an open and non-competitive structure. As collaborative experimentation and radically open, speculative discourse.
Possible further text. More sharing. Less. Stop.
This is a proposed recorded discussion considering how open participation at FiveYears might work out in practice.
Edward Dorrian
Five Years
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Saturday 5 November 2022
4-6pm Five Years: Open To Anyone. Open to anyone.
Possible recorded discussion. Possible recorded discussion. To be confirmed.
Dear Five Years
Your proposed open call for new members* was timely. As you may know I am wanting Five Years to host a series of discussions around issues of open and equal participation in (self)constituting ‘codes of practice’, specifically the processes of ‘open-call’ as a pragmatic situation of collective discursive practice.
What I am proposing is that we allow ourselves, and anyone interested, the opportunity to read through a proof-text, discuss and then contribute to the drawing up of the Open-Call. In the space at Five Years itself.
Not any easy ask. But it seems to me to be consistent both with our already publicly stated aims: For the physical gallery space to be a shared resource. A platform for collaborative experimentation and radically open, speculative discourse. And with the performative direct address aspect of the open-call itself.
Of course this come with great risk. politically, aesthetically,ethically.
Discursive projects such these, tend to make evident who says, does and is responsible for what. And every possible attempt is made to clearly and precisely safe-guard intellectual property as well as all participants informed ethical consent. With absolute equality as a fundamental concept.
So can I ask again. Can there be a discussion that helps shape, articulate the direct address of the Open-Call for New Members, be itself recognized as a proposal for constituting a practice of collaborative experimentation and radically open, speculative discourse, using the gallery as a shared resource?
Could this operate for us in a constructive and pragmatic way as opportunity for open public discussion of open membership?
So yes, What Is An Open Call For New Members?
Edward Dorrian
Five Years
* Open Call For New Members is a proposal currently in process initiated by Five Years members Esther Planas and Marc Hulson, for Five Years to work on collectively.
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