(2022) Constant Dullaart – Studio Dull
For three and a half months in the fall of 2022, Artist Constant Dullaart was our Open Space resident. During this period, Dullaart initiated new work and exchanged knowledge around his artistic research into the authorship hidden in protocols, systems, and tools.
Like no other, Constant Dullaart plays with the notion of what a medium is, thereby searching for the human origins within technological phenomena and structures. He perceives and uses the internet as an alternative space for presentation and (mis)representation. With his often political approach, he makes us rethink what we have become blind to as users and consumers, and deconstructs existing systems in a near-activistic way.
From September 9th until December 18th, the The Grey Space was home to the broadcasting station ‘Studio Dull’. In a world increasingly dictated by data systems, Studio Dull questioned to what extent a user can still act independently. Are we caged by technology or set free?
The hybrid (radio) broadcasts were prepared by an editorial team, consisting of Constant Dullaart himself, artist Ruby Lee and the artistic lead of The Grey Space; Marijke Cobbenhagen. The editing process is accessible both online in the form of common.garden and onsite, the latter as the broadcast platform which moves through our spaces. The broadcasts consist of interviews, archival material, and contributions from the audience.
During the residency, public events have occurred on September 9th, on October 8th, as part of Museumnacht Den Haag, for a period between November 11th and 20th for IDFA, on November 13th with BARTALK, and on November 26th with an event called Studio Dull: The Tool – Law, Music, Dictatorship.
Constant Dullaart is a Dutch conceptual artist, media artist, internet artist, and curator whose work is deeply connected to the Internet. Within his practice, he reflects on the broad cultural and social effects of communication and image processing technologies while critically engaging the power structures of mega corporations that dramatically influence our worldview through the internet.
His works were shown in MCA Chicago, Whitechapel Gallery London, Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt, Import Projects Berlin, Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, ZKM Karlsruhe, Victoria & Albert Museum London, and MAAT Lisbon. Dullaart has curated exhibitions and lectured at universities and academies throughout Europe.
Aiming to act as a catalyst in the artistic practice of contemporary makers, The Grey Space hosts the annual residency Open Space. Open Space is inspired by radical relationism, which can best be explained following the basic principles of particle physics, where in order to study the most fundamental matter of which our universe is composed, things are combined solely to see what unexpected outcomes emerge.
During a three-month working period, a maker is invited to appropriate The Grey Space. Together, they investigate the needs of a proposed project. Conducive to its development, The Grey Space supplies the space, resources, and tools, provides feedback, organizes public events, and opens up its network. During this working period, illogical or unexpected connections often emerge with thinkers, makers, organizations, companies, tools, and professionals from other domains, thus influencing the project.
The events allow the public to both experience work in progress and to be involved in the development. In turn, it allows the maker to be inspired by the input of the public as well.
Open Space – Studio Dull has been made possible by the Creative Industries Fund NL, the City of The Hague, Stroom Den Haag and the Mondriaan Fund.
