Page 39 - Studio International - August 1966

Mystification and the Groupe de Recherche

London commentary by Cyril Barrett
The new INDICA GALLERY in Mason's Lane, St James's What he thinks of them may be more self-revealing, and
has got off to an enviably good start. Not only did it hence more damaging to himself than to the works.
secure the first group show of the Groupe de Recherche Since 1961 the Group have increasingly stressed the
d'Art Visuel but, within days of the opening, news importance they place on spectator participation. In their
arrived that Le Parc had won the prize at Venice. manifesto at the 3rd Paris Biennale of 1963 they wrote:
The choice of Le Parc came as some surprise. This `We wish to put him [the spectator] in a situation which
surprise may be shared by visitors to Indica. Making he initiates and transforms ... We wish to develop in the
allowance for the fact that his best work is at Venice and spectator an increased capacity for perception and for
for the rather cramped, subterranean conditions of this action.' This is not new, of course. Other artists, like
exhibition (the gallery is to expand above ground shortly), Lygia Clark, do it. The Dadaists, for slightly different
the initial impression may be one of pleasant triviality. reasons and in a different way, also did it. It is a feature
There are the stock-in-trade of kinetic art—moving lights, of other contemporary art forms : the 'happening' or,
moving forms and the ubiquitous Sphère-trame of Morellet. for the instrumentalist at least, the music of Boulez or
These reflect the early development of the Group (which Stockhausen. In the form of improvisation it has a long
came together in 1960). But the dominant works are history. But the Groupe de Recherche are prepared to carry
`gags', which the visitor is invited to manipulate and play it through to greater lengths and for a wider public.
with: distorting spectacles and mirrors, ping-pong balls, All art calls for some audience participation, if only
a board with lights which spell out a mildly blue poem. the effort of interpreting and appreciating what has been
Sophisticated toys ? Toys perhaps, but not very sophisti- done. In some cases the contribution of the audience or
cated. Many hardly rise above the level of pooh-sticks. spectator may be considerable, filling in a great deal that
The inevitable, tedious question is asked: is this Art? the artist has left unsaid. But it is always the artist and
Well, why not? Where does one draw the line? If, as some his work which is in question. He is the creator of the work
say, all art (and for that matter, mathematics) is a form of and the work is the product of his activity. To that extent
play, then toys would seem to be the quintessence of Art. he intrudes himself between the spectator and the work,
But, leaving this aside, the question misses the point of and the spectator, for all his co-operation, is ultimately the
what the Group are doing. passive admirer of the artist's achievement.
People who ask questions of this kind, with the implica- The Groupe de Recherche want to change all this. They
tions they carry, may, in fact, be giving themselves away. want to do away with the idea of the artist-creator, the
These objects are deceptive in their simplicity. They are passive contemplation of his work, the intrusion of the
not so much works of art as materials for works. They artist between spectator and work. The artist is to be-
present the spectator with a situation, a set of possi- come merely the programmer, at most the co-creator.
bilities, and provoke him to make something of them. The spectator is to confront the work directly because he

Indica Gallery's exhibition of
the Groupe de Recherche d'Art
Visuel, showing works by
Morellet, Yvarel, Sobrino and
Le Parc