Broadcast, the last of three exhibits under Pratt Institute’s “Politics and Media" series at their Manhattan gallery, groups together eleven artists and collectives that, some starting in the 1960’s, have explored, infiltrated, and/or critiqued modes of broadcast transmission in either television or radio. The show as a whole is a little difficult to enjoy because it is always a challenge to mount an exhibition based on allot of documentation. In addition, the viewer may not be familiar with some of the politics challenged in the work.

Take Dara Birnbaum’s installation Hostage (1994), for example, which appropriates news coverage of the 1977 kidnapping of Hanns-Martin Schleyer, a large industry representative based in Germany, by the terrorist organization Red Army Faction. The installation consists of roughly ten suspended monitors each playing clips of this footage, along with firing practice body targets hanging in front of each monitor. I cannot blame you if this kidnapping isn’t fresh in your mind, in fact I had no idea what it was until I looked it up just now, getting to a point I want to make about this work – that being what is its relevancy. Supporters of the work may say that it critiques the way in which news coverage exploits such sensitive issues, but I ask in return, is it not more exploitative to make an art piece about it that then sells for a whole lot of money to which you (being the creator) has to gain from?

Let’s move on to another artist from the 1970’s, Chris Burden, and his piece in the exhibition from that time, TV Hijack (1972). Like Birnbaum, I am generally a fan of Burden’s work, but this piece is just ridiculous. After rejected several times by a station for not wanting to air his ideas for television programming, Burden during an interview with Channel 3 Cablevision in Irvine, California, on February 9, 1972, took his interviewer, Phyllis Lutjeans, hostage by putting a knife to her throat. Burden’s demands were that he would kill her if the station stopped broadcasting the live event. At the end, Burden destroyed the recording and exhibits photo-documentation of the event. Again, I ask the question why and what for; does this piece really challenge established modes of communication? Does it make for effective and lasting change?

One piece in this exhibit that I did love was Christian Jankowski's contribution to the 1999 Venice Biennale. Telemistica (1999) is comprised of video footage of several live call-in shows featuring psychics and astrologers that answer questions one may have regarding your future. Jankowski, while staying in Venice for preparation of the Biennale, called several of these popular shows and asked things like “What will the public think about my work?” “Will they like it?” and  “Will I be successful?” I found Telemistica to be a very honest portrait of what it is like to be an artist. It is inventive and proves that great art does not have to come from expensive materials. In such dire financial times, all artists should keep this in mind - a positive lesson one can take from this exhibition amidst its faults. 

Images: Chris Burden, TV Hijack (1972); Christian Jankowski, Telemistica  (1999). Courtesy Pratt Manhattan Gallery.