Labor

“MH discussed the set-up for an archive, with possibilities for cross-referencing-‘Adrian would be proud’. Names and relations with people can play a big role and become one of the ways to search through the archive (aside from year, typology etc). It would be great if the archive will eventually become public. Our conversation went on about Sands his website and its current list of names (mostly female or feminist artists). Sands mentioned there have been many other websites before, built in collaboration with Robin, including one that had 3500 links (!). The link and reference as a way to give attention to others. Thinking of these websites, and how Sands used social media such as facebook as a ‘process archive’, it’s a reminder Sands has actually been taking care of his archiving for a long time.” From the meta-archive process diary. – RR.

“Was there a precedent for queer body based arts in the Netherlands? Sands thinks of Fabiola; living as an art object, not performing per se, but having a performative presence. This presence might be in relation to the dress, wig etc Sands is thinking about wearing in September. Grayson Perry said: ‘your mistakes are your style’.” From the meta-archive process diary. – RR.

Rijksakademie Internal Open Studios – 07.09.20. “The symbology of horses versus the real horses: some visitors would account feeling threatened, or being a horse whisperer, even their height came into play (the initial idea that popped into their minds would be a pony, or something small and nice).” – AC. “The horses are an anthropomorphic stand-in for humanity.” – SMW. “Are they though? Why do they stand for humans, and where do the horses inside the horse skin go?” – AC.

“A collage of text that may or may not fit together.” – SMW paraphrased by MH.

“Detached but Intimate/Personal. These next seven letters unfold in a flurry of activity during the final two weeks of the summer holiday. With the arrival of Aimar’s first letter to Sands via post, some ‘admissions’ are put on the table and with them a comb purchased in the old town of Bilbao. This small drug-store purchase becomes like a codex through which Aimar begins to speak about his ‘self-contained’ ways—in somewhat stark contrast to Sands’ continuous “spilling out’—and, in the process, to articulate his relationship to relationships, to the (auto)biographical and to the kinds of intimacies that flow through those connections to self and others. In the last of the letters, Sands receives Aimar’s comb, making an admission of his own that sometimes he worries he is ‘too much’ and closing the communique with the thought: ‘we do not know ourselves physically as we appear to others…the same might go for behavior…’” – MH studio note from ificantdance.studio.

“The studio at the Rijksakademie that started out empty, was getting rather full by now. Martha Jager had been working on the transcripts of the conversations that RR had recorded with SMW. It was a labour of love, as with most of the Gift Science Archive work not easy to ‘quantify’ into regular working hours (and a regular hourly rate). Sands gifted Martha a textile painting, out of appreciation for her work and dedication.” – RR.

“I printed this stationary to use for my business, but never really used it for that. I used it to start making drawings on. My Mom had sent me fruit scented markers with animals printed on them, which I had used in my childhood. I used these to make the drawings, declarative statements to find my way.” – SMW.

“I printed this stationary to use for my business, but never really used it for that. I used it to start making drawings on. My Mom had sent me fruit scented markers with animals printed on them, which I had used in my childhood. I used these to make the drawings, declarative statements to find my way.” – SMW.

“I had to throw away a lot of these, there were also Dutch gay liberation magazines in the boxes Erik Hagoort gave me, called ‘De Verkeerde Krant’ or so, (‘van de verkeerde kant’ was a Dutch saying for a queer person) but due to storage I could not keep everything as a resource to use. There are hundreds of these painted drawings, and they get quite a good response. Paul Thek = newspaper paintings, Karen Finley = same as Paul Thek, Erik Hagoort is the partner of Dutch artist Albert van Westing and AA Bronson showed a fondness for the drawings.” – SMW.

“I had to throw away a lot of these, there were also Dutch gay liberation magazines in the boxes Erik Hagoort gave me, called ‘De Verkeerde Krant’ or so, (‘van de verkeerde kant’ was a Dutch saying for a queer person) but due to storage I could not keep everything as a resource to use. There are hundreds of these painted drawings, and they get quite a good response. Paul Thek = newspaper paintings, Karen Finley = same as Paul Thek, Erik Hagoort is the partner of Dutch artist Albert van Westing and AA Bronson showed a fondness for the drawings.” – SMW.

“I had to throw away a lot of these, there were also Dutch gay liberation magazines in the boxes Erik Hagoort gave me, called ‘De Verkeerde Krant’ or so, (‘van de verkeerde kant’ was a Dutch saying for a queer person) but due to storage I could not keep everything as a resource to use. There are hundreds of these painted drawings, and they get quite a good response. Paul Thek = newspaper paintings, Karen Finley = same as Paul Thek, Erik Hagoort is the partner of Dutch artist Albert van Westing and AA Bronson showed a fondness for the drawings.” – SMW.