December 1-4, 2005, 1 to 7pm
curated by the Center of Attention
part of frisbee (miami)
Room 101, Cavalier Hotel, 1320 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach

Art fairs are disgusting
They make us feel sick
Is this the best way to show art?
And curate art?
It is revolting

We are against it
We are for
Freeing the Tiananmen 126
Stopping dictators
Cleaning the world's water supply
Stopping child abuse
And other stuff

'…There's these two curators in bed…'

The curators of the Center of Attention
Gary O'Dwyer and Pierre Coinde,
take to their hotel bed in a 'bed-in' protest
for the entire 4 days of the Miami art fairs
'Down with stuff!' they say.

we imagined the show would cover significant points
What is the curator to do for an art fair?
like the impotent protest gesture of the artist
the curator is to the art fair what the artist is to politics
expendable

For further information, contact Pierre/Gary at the Centre of Attention on +(44) 20 8880 5507 or on@thecentreofattention.org

With thanks to Jen DeNike, Anat Ebgi and all at frisbee for their support

Miami 2005

Embedded blog

Day 1
Thursday 1st December

Hello
Hi

In bed in the hotel room for one hour now…

What are you protesting against? What have you got?

'That's so cool…'

'Art Miami is crap but nada is cool crazy and happening'

We met in Venice…
We meet old friends and acquaintances

'Awesome!'

Someone leaves behind an Art newspaper there is a picture of us in it

Watched some TV read some stuff

I like this painting (Untitled (Frankfurt) red square painting 2004)
This is the centre of attention logo

Is that a video piece
No it's just the TV

Visitors continue all day

We close the door at 7

Day 2
Friday 2nd December

Hey you're ouuta bed!
Just a toilet break
You should get a bed pan
What a bed pan

It's an exhibition not a form of self inflicted torture

We are curators not masochists

Didn't I see you last night at the Delano?

No

Hey I saw this in Art Newspaper

Weren't you at the Deitch party

What are you protesting against?
What do you want us to protest against?
I dunno

No

Didn't we see you at the Heeb Magazine party…?

What you watching?
CNN

Is this about the war?
No
It's the only channel with a clock.

Can I get you some cocktails; it's two for one at the hotel bar?
That would be great

Have you got bed sores?

Is there nothing for sale?
The label is for sale…
- This is an A3 laminate above the bed saying
Embedded
(installation: two curators, bed, hotel room
dimensions variable)
the centre of attention
2005

oh

- People take pictures of us sitting in bed.
Some join us for the photo opportunity

Are there any other events happening in the bed
Maybe

Is this a performance?

I get it…John and Yoko

Did you just meet?
Why aren't you naked

Day 3
Saturday 3rd December

A women lies on the bed and talks poor French when she discovers that
Pierre is French
Seems a bit drunk

Think we meet a guerrilla girl

'I never seen such an articulate man in panty hose'

This is great
People on the whole amused

A few others say John and Yoko did this
What makes it original?

Do you get on each other's nerves

What are you protesting against?
Stuff

Day 4
Sunday 4th December

This is Gilbert and George meets John and Yoko
Who is Yoko

What are you protesting against?
Art fairs
Why
There is no room for the curator in the art fair
And is art best shown in a retail environment dictated to by market standards

it is doomed

Fight against the dictatorship of the market by being free

We do an interview for WPS1

Some comments from the book:

Laziness maquerading as art 'comment'!
How disgusting!
You could at least fork out for a couple of sun loungers and get down the beach sipping pims!
L.R.

I approve 100% of your action! Have a nice bed time
MJ

Yo! You punked out! Congrats!
J xx

Very interesting but you cannot stop progress. You must deal with it. The role of curators, biennials and art fairs are mutating. Yet it's important to address it. Good luck.
T.A.

I'm all for guerilla art, but this just becomes another ancillary "piece" of the fair. It's more an act of collusion, than protest. Just as self-promoting as the rest of the bullshit happening all around the "thing". Don't let the bedbugs bite,
CS

I whole heartedly support your gesture in defiance of disgusting Art fairs
How art can stop child abuse, dictators and liberate the Tiananmen 126 is a bigger and more important question than the question of how to sell more art at more art fairs in the increasingly hideous global consumer culture of art
Circulation of 'political' art to the right audiences in the right places at the right time would seem to be part of the answer
By political I don't mean Political (of course)
Exploitation of the methods of the mass media would seem to be a good bet -thinking of Warhol, even if it was only for self interest or Barbara Kruger( who has made lots of money!!) - but their appropriation of mass media methods certainly got their messages out there
May be centre of attention could commission/encourage/facilitate some Mass media works
Have a good time in bed even if you do end up watching lots of crap TV
V. P.

you crazi mudderphuckers ~ your groove i do deeply dig!
T.O.

Very interesting, but, if art fairs are bad with curators, imagine art fairs without curators.
(Agree, artists in politics are expendable).
The art scene without curators would deteriorate beyond imagination. And it is deteriorating fast because of anti-curatorial campaigns. Artists alone just cannot handle the entire art environment.
Art is like cattle, you need lot of cowboys to get the job done.
R.R.

anything to get a little attention, right?
J.D.

Good for you! I support your bed-in!
L.B.