Olympic Park’s former artist in residence to deal with disillusionment
Neville Gabie, former artist in residence for the London 2012 Olympics, has criticised the commercialisation of the Games. Photograph: ODA
The former artist in residence at the Olympic Park plans to create a new artwork – by being as far away as possible from Stratford during the Games.
Neville Gabie was artist in residence in the Olympic Park between September 2010 and January this year when organisers took over the site.
He is now launching a public discussion on where he should spend the night of the opening ceremony on 27 July.
The artist said he had decided on the plan after becoming disillusioned with aspects of the modern Olympics, and in particular its commercialisation.
“When you’re involved close up with something like that you start to worry about the ethos of the Olympics and whether the original spirit of the Games is really reflected in what we have now,” he said. “This project is an idea to explore how far away we might have moved from the original spirit of the Games.”
Gabie said he was open-minded about whether or not “the greatest distance” from the Games at 7.30pm on the night of Danny Boyle’s opening ceremony would be represented physically or metaphorically.
“I want to explore whether being disenfranchised is a social, economic, physical or cultural thing,” he said. “I consider it an extension of the body of work I did with the ODA. For me it’s really important it’s seen in the context of all the other work I did on the Olympic Park.”
Gabie, who completed several works on the park including an homage to Seurat’s Bathers at Asnières with construction workers and a project where he attempted to sit in every seat in the stadium, will appeal for suggestions through his blog.
The Free Word centre in London, which is staging a series of exhibitions and talks on politics and the Olympics throughout the summer, will also help solicit suggestions. Gabie eventual destination will be decided by a panel.
“I am passionate about sport myself. But sometimes those things appear to be very compromised by the power of that cold, corporate involvement,” said Gabie.
“The whole of London becomes a militarised zone for the period of the Olympics and sport has moved so far from a celebration of amateur athletes and the world coming together peacefully.”
Gabie said his period as artist in residence for the Olympic delivery authority was a “fantastic opportunity” and praised the skill and spirit of those who built the venues. But he said other aspects of the modern Games had made him uneasy.
“There were lots of things I saw there, some very positive and some less so. I see my role as an artist to reflect all those opinions,” he said.
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