An Online Interaction for Concerned Viewers.
As the 2nd Triennial took place over the period that saw several lockdowns of cultural institutions, u/n multitude, who were originally invited to reflect on the specific productive nature of the exhibition, found themselves in an unusual situation of sporadic opportunities. With the contour of the exhibition display shimmering, the habitual tools of metaphoric production of meaning for communities through music events were no longer working, so the group turned their eyes upon themselves: the limitations of their own method and its adaptivity. This is how the idea of an online survey came into being. The title of the project (Farewell Concert) ironically reflects the group’s desire for fame while cleverly enticing the respondents into an “audition,” offering a casual introduction to u/n multitude’s work. Opening with “Would you like u/n multitude to end their career?” the questionnaire allows for several different scenarios with two possible final outcomes. Depending on whether most respondents answer “yes” or “no,” u/n multitude promise to either produce their final work for the Triennial or finish all creative activities and never return to art practice again. Although by delegating their fate to the respondents, the group is taking a risk, having two possible outcomes is, in fact, much more comfortable than facing the chaotic uncertainty of the new reality.
Created in 2014 by artist and composer Nikita Spiridonov, u/n multitude at different times included Sonya Rumyantseva, Igor Krivda, Elena Zubtsova, and Ilya Fomin, among others.
u/n multitude is a community of artists and music historians whose practice includes performance and public activities. They describe their works as “political scores,” seeing music as a lacuna for the study of socio-historical conflicts through living the moment in its duration. Music and performance are politics. u/n multitude understands a score as a sequence of actions that tie the performer, the work, and the political context into a single statement.