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Park McArthur
Kunsthalle_guests Gaeste.Netz.5456

15 August – 4 October 2020

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5456

Entrance Hall

Ostsaal

Westsaal

Hauptsaal

Aaresaal

Elevator

Info Room

Project Room

Courtyard

The audio transcript can be downloaded here.
The floorplan can be downloaded here.

A wide street view of the Helvetiaplatz tram stop on a sunny day. The view also shows the Kunsthalle Bern building behind and to the left of the stop. No traffic or people are pictured, giving the tram stop and empty streets an expectant feel. The tram’s electricity lines are visible against a blue summer sky and tall green trees.
On a sunny day a view of three exhibition posters adhered to one of Kunsthalle Bern’s exterior walls. Below the building’s decorative frieze, on a light brown wall, an artwork by Lawrence Weiner from 1983 reads “STEIN AUF STEIN AUF GEFALLENEN STEIN.” In front of the building along a gently downward sloping sidewalk is a bike, a storage compartment decorated with multicolored graffiti, and a parked car. In the middle of a road which runs along the sloped sidewalk are four thin barricades painted in thick alternating stripes of black and white like a grouping of André Cadere sculptures.

A view of an exterior wall of the Kunsthalle Bern lit by the sun. The wall shows an old-fashioned concrete billboard with a single poster in black text on a white background reading: “PARK MCARTHUR KUNSTHALLE_GUESTS GAESTE.NETZ.5456” ”KUNSTHALLE BERN 15.8.–4.10.2020” The billboard is crowned with a concrete flower and artichoke ornament at its top and below is a concrete sculpture of a lion’s head encircled by a starburst pattern.
Outside, a closeup of a circular concrete bas relief sculpture of a lion’s head. The sculpture is inset into an exterior wall painted light brown. The sculpture contrasts with the thick brown paint of the wall because it is unpainted and appears finer in grain. The sun casts hard shadows across the shape of the lion’s face, the sunburst pattern that encircles it, and the brown wall of the building.
On a sunny day, a partial view of an outdoor portico with a square support column and grey flagstone flooring. To the left of the column is an oversized exhibition poster installed on a light brown plaster wall. Directly below the poster on the same wall is a mailbox and intercom. The poster, in black text on a white background, reads: “PARK MCARTHUR KUNSTHALLE_GUESTS GAESTE.NETZ.5456” “KUNSTHALLE BERN 15.8.–4.10.2020”
A postcard lying on a flat grey marble surface with white veining. The postcard is white with black text and no images. A vertical line divides the postcard into left and right halves. The outline of a rectangle is positioned in the postcard’s top-right corner. All other text is positioned on the left side of the postcard and reads, from top to bottom: “PARK MCARTHUR KUNSTHALLE_GUESTS GAESTE.NETZ.5456” “15.8.–4.10.2020 No opening.” “http://kunsthalle-bern.ch/exhibitions/2020/park-mcarthur/” “KUNSTHALLE BERN Helvetiaplatz 1, CH-3005 Bern P +41 31 540 00 40 info_at_kunsthalle-bern.ch Kunsthalle-bern.ch Opening times: Tue–Fr 11am–18pm, Sat–Sun 10am–6pm Both floors accessible. Kunsthalle Bern would like to thank the city of Bern for the kind support.” Below this text in the bottom left corner is a small logo for the City of Bern featuring a bear inside of a flag and the words “Kultur Stadt Bern”.
A touch screen cell phone lying on a flat surface of grey marble with white veining. The phone’s screen displays a web address beginning “kunsthalle-bern.ch/en” and lists a series of sound files with corresponding play buttons underneath the title and date information “Park McArthur Kunsthalle_guests Gaeste.Netz.5456 15 August–4 October 2020”.
A view of three white walls in a large room with grey granite flooring. Each wall has a single doorway. Each doorway opens onto an adjacent room with white walls and wooden flooring. Through the door on the left wall a wooden bench facing open windows and a radiator can be seen. In front of this doorway in the large room is a thin rectangle cut in the granite floor outlining the top of an elevator which can’t be seen. When in use the elevator rises or descends through the floor. Back in the large room, through the door in the center wall two black benches positioned perpendicular to one another can be seen. Through the door on the right a two page artwork installed above a radiator can be seen. In front of this doorway in the large room sits a dark grey stone bench. Two identical copies of an artwork each consisting of two pages adhered directly to the wall can be seen in the large room as well as the small room on the right.

A view of a large room with a grey granite floor and a ceiling made of translucent decorative ceiling tiles laid out in gridded sections. In the middle of each section is an eight-pointed star inside of a circle. Light traveling through clerestory windows positioned above the ceiling tiles creates shadowed outlines of windows on the ceiling tiles. On the room’s far wall is an open doorway leading to another room with white walls, wooden flooring and a radiator. In front of this doorway in the large room is a dark grey stone bench. To the right of this bench is a heavy-looking piece of rectangular stone furniture with a flat tabletop surface and rectangular openings at the top of each side. This object encases a radiator. Behind the radiator is another doorway but it is not possible to see past the doorway.
A grey square object on a white wall seen through an angled open doorway. At the threshold of the doorway the floor changes from grey granite to parquet wood.

A view of a long wall shared by two rooms with white walls and wooden floors. A grey wall-mounted sculpture hangs in each of the rooms. An additional artwork, small in scale with blue lettering on two pages of white paper can be seen in the foreground but its details are too small to read.
A closeup of a grey sculpture on a white wall. The sculpture was made from a mold, probably in 1918 by Paul Kunz. Its surface details show a lion’s head surrounded by concentric circles and a square border. The sculpture is worn and the lion’s head has slight damage to its nose and forehead but is otherwise intact.
A frontal view of a passageway connecting two rooms with white walls and wooden flooring. On a wall near the passageway hangs a small two page artwork with blue lettering but the artwork’s details are too small to read.
A closeup of an artwork. The artwork is two pages of paper adhered directly to a white gallery wall. Both pages feature the numbers, text, and logo of an incentive spirometer. The text includes “Hudson RCI,” “Voldyne 2500,” and the words “Best” “Good” “Better” stacked in boxes from bottom to top. On both pages the numbers 750, 1000, 1250, 1500, up to 2500 milliliters, are stacked in a vertical column with lines between each number from bottom to top in ascending order. At the base of the columns of numbers are the words “Inspired Volume.” The prints would be legible if you read them while looking at them in a mirror. All of the text is blue.
A gallery with white walls, parquet flooring and a darkened doorway leading to an adjacent room. Next to the doorway hangs a small artwork with blue lettering on two pages of white paper. Across from the darkened doorway a grey sculpture is seen hanging in profile. The sculpture depicts a lion’s head surrounded by concentric circles and a square border.

A closeup of a grey sculpture on a white wall. The sculpture was made from a mold, probably in 1918 by Paul Kunz. Its surface details show a lion’s head surrounded by concentric circles and a square border. The sculpture appears nearly identical to another sculpture of a lion’s head only with less damage to the animal’s nose.
A frontal view of a grey sculpture hanging on a well-lit white wall seen through a darkened doorway. The sculpture is of a lion’s head surrounded by concentric circles and a square border.

A spacious symmetrical room with tall white walls, crown molding, radiators, and parquet wood flooring. On the floor in the center of the room are museum benches. Two of the benches are painted black. A group of unpainted wooden benches are grouped together to create a large flat seating area. At either end of the large room is a single open doorway leading to an adjacent room.

A very spacious room with tall white walls, crown molding, radiators, and parquet wood flooring that continues outside of the frame. On the floor in the center of the room are museum benches. Two of the benches are painted black. A group of unpainted wooden benches grouped together create a single large flat seating area. The room has a large translucent ceiling featuring large circle, star, and grid design elements. Four of the translucent ceiling panels tilt upwards and open to the lofted roof above.
A view of a darkened doorway connecting two rooms. Both rooms have white walls and wood parquet flooring. The doorway frames a view into the second room. This room has a single radiator below a grid of windows. The windows are open and let in light. Past the windows outside of the building are tree branches full of green leaves.
A cropped view looking from inside out through open windows at a distant view of trees and a large building with orange roof tiles. Directly below the window the top of a radiator can be seen. The colors and shapes of trees, buildings, and sky are reflected in the glass sections of the window casements.
On the left side of a long gallery: open windows positioned above two radiators are separated by a section of white wall. Seen in profile, the windows’ casement sections reflect images of buildings, trees, and sky as seen outside. In the middle of the room two unpainted museum benches face the windows which hinge open into the interior of the room. Opposite the windows a small two page artwork with blue lettering hangs on a wall near an open doorway. The room’s electric lights are off and the open windows let in differing amounts of light.
On the right side of a long gallery: open windows positioned above two radiators separated by a section of white wall. Seen in profile, the windows’ casements sections appear tinted. In the middle of the room two unpainted museum benches face the open windows. Opposite the windows a small two page artwork with blue lettering hangs on a wall near an open doorway. The room’s electric lights are off and the open windows let in differing amounts of light.
An open window above a stairway landing. Orange tile rooftops, green trees, and blue sky can be seen through the window’s open casements. In front of the window a circular lamp hangs from the ceiling, emitting a warm yellow light.

A cityscape looking out across the tops of green trees on a sunny day. The cityscape shows buildings of different heights with orange ceramic roof tiles, an elevated bridge with people, and a bright blue sky with white clouds.
Inside of a white walled gallery with parquet flooring two museum benches face three sections of open windows, each positioned above a brown radiator. The light inside of the room is a mixture of warm sunlight, greens from treetops and blue shade let in by the open windows. Past the two benches a wide wooden stairway leads upstairs. A round white wifi router sits in the bottom corner of the room and a small security camera sits at the top near the ceiling.
A partial view of a room with two open windows above two brown radiators. In the middle of the room are two unpainted museum benches. On the far wall are four prints in black frames hung in a line. Across from the windows and radiators is a shadowy doorway. Next to the doorway is another two page artwork. The room’s electric lights are turned off and shadows from the trees outside make effects on the white walls.
A partial view from inside a white-walled gallery showing four artworks hanging in a line on a wall situated between an open window and a darkened open doorway. Each of the four artworks is an email print out framed in a black frame. The artworks’ text is too small to read.
An artwork in a black frame. The artwork is an email that has been printed out. The upper left corner shows the Gmail logo. Under this is the email’s subject line “Involuntary Questions,” followed by a horizontal line spanning the width of the page, followed by two email addresses pamcarthur_at_gmail.com and knoll.valerie_at_gmail.com opposite the date and time 11. August 2020 um 16:14, followed by the text: “Which height is most comfortable for thinking about what’s on the pages Which patterns create less stress on the imagination How much space is needed between copies Can copies be layered and placed on top of one another How many copies are needed in order to get inside a daydream Which groupings remind you of where you want to live someday Which areas hold ideas for next year Which areas emphasis the end of a day What kinds of arrangements would you not even have to think about it at all What kinds of arrangements cannot be described”

An artwork in a black frame. The artwork is an email that has been printed out. The upper left corner shows the Gmail logo. Under this is the email’s subject line “…synthetic questions…,” followed by a horizontal line spanning the width of the page, followed by two email addresses pamcarthur_at_gmail.com and knoll.valerie_at_gmail.com opposite the date and time 11. August 2020 um 16:13, followed by the text: “Is it familiar to be within reach Did you choose the music Or have a part in making your routine Does a routine bend (Did I give it a nine out of ten) Or does it adhere to itself Is it your posture or weight bearing or is it the way you are lifted that describes how I feel What should question seven be Is it the way you handle being photographed that gives me a clue Or is it the way you take up time that I should pay attention to”
An artwork in a black frame. The artwork is an email that has been printed out.The upper left corner shows the Gmail logo. Under this is the email’s subject line “Some follow up questions,” followed by a horizontal line spanning the width of the page, followed by two email addresses pamcarthur_at_gmail.com and knoll.valerie_at_gmail.com opposite the date and time 11. August 2020 um 16:12, followed by the text: “How quickly does it dry after getting wet Was it a raincoat or a life vest that I was reminded of while putting it on How many tries did it take to learn how to use the leg holes Was the seat dark green with black edges What other colors can it be What size did the frame break down to How would it feel to be lifted farther than the distance from the couch to the bathroom Did a metal smell remain on Jason’s hands Would swinging longer be fun What else is fun”

An artwork in a black frame. The artwork is an email that has been printed out. The upper left corner shows the Gmail logo. Under this is the email’s subject line “These are the questions I would ask,” followed by a horizontal line spanning the width of the page, followed by two email addresses pamcarthur_at_gmail.com and knoll.valerie_at_gmail.com opposite the date and time 11. August 2020 um 16:11, followed by the text: “1. Which patient lift is more comfortable in moving a patient 2. Which patient lift has more head and neck support 3. Which patient lift has less stress on internal organs 4. Which patient lift better alleviates the fear of being moved 5. Which patient lift allows the patient to comfortably stay on lift longer if necessary 6. How many caregivers does it take to safely move a patient 7. Does the patient lift have to be assembled before moving a patient 8. Which patient lift minimizes the loss of dignity and privacy 9. Which lift allows the patient (if able) to control their posture 10. Which lift allows you to sit at the table and eat with family”
A white walled gallery in low lighting shown at an oblique angle. The gallery is punctuated by three banks of open windows positioned high above three brown unpainted radiators. Outside of the open windows iron guardrails and a canopy of green trees can be seen. Green light filters through the trees into the gallery. Beyond the room’s windows is a well-lit doorway through which four small framed artworks are seen on the other side. Next to the doorway is an artwork made of two pages. A single museum bench faces the open windows.
A partial view of a white walled gallery with parquet flooring in low lighting. The view shows open window casements in profile view. In the middle of the darkened space is a single unpainted museum bench. Two small black speakers hang high on the room’s back wall which is accompanied by a set of closed white double doors. Above the doors is a green exit sign.
The interior of a room facing two open windows separated by a section of white wall. Directly below each of the windows is a wall-mounted radiator. The windows’ casements open into the room, letting in filtered daylight from the trees outside and reflecting images of trees in the window’s glass panes. Thin vertical metal guardrails span the windows’ exteriors.

A wide street view of the Helvetiaplatz tram stop on a sunny day. The view also shows the Kunsthalle Bern building behind and to the left of the stop. No traffic or people are pictured, giving the tram stop and empty streets an expectant feel. The tram’s electricity lines are visible against a blue summer sky and tall green trees.

5456

Welcome to “Kunsthalle_guests Gaeste.Netz.5456”, an exhibition by Park McArthur. My name is UVM. I work at Kunsthalle Bern and one of my jobs involves distributing exhibition invitation cards to locations around the city. At exhibition openings I note how many people come to the Kunsthalle. Park McArthur asked me to record this exhibition in German and English.

Let us enter Kunsthalle Bern.

You are cordially invited to Kunsthalle_guests Gaeste.Netz.5456, an exhibition by Park McArthur that will be presented on Kunsthalle Bern’s website in German and English and in the building of Kunsthalle Bern from August 15 to October 4, 2020.

Guests who wish to visit the exhibition at Kunsthalle Bern are encouraged to bring headphones and a charged device with wifi capacity. Sanitized devices, chargers and headphones are also available to borrow.

Kunsthalle_guests Gaeste.Netz.5456 is a series of visual and material descriptions of the interior and exterior spaces of Kunsthalle Bern as well as the artworks installed therein. It moves through the Kunsthalle’s seven galleries, the building’s elevator, courtyard, and nearby transportation stop. The exhibition reflects McArthur’s inquiries concerning the venue’s existing conditions, the people linked to it, the building and its history. More broadly it explores various possibilities for sharing and experiencing an art exhibition.

While preparing the exhibition McArthur sought to learn from people who recall Kunsthalle Bern through memory and through direct, daily experience. Speaking to current employees, the institution’s photographer, as well as artists and art historians familiar with the Kunsthalle, McArthur asked questions about the building’s physical structure, its uses, and some of the tangible realities which inform the spaces’ functioning. The exhibition arose out of these questions and necessities.

One of the infrastructures that this particular exhibition relies upon is the building’s wireless network. McArthur asked to permanently expand the building’s existing wifi so that the network reaches all of the seven galleries as well as its courtyard, bar, and adjacent park. Park McArthur named the exhibition after the existing Kunsthalle_guests network and its Gaeste.Netz.5456 passcode.

The exhibition was realized with great intimacy as McArthur did not travel to Bern, Switzerland in order to make or install it. The exhibition comes from questions raised about the particular possibilities that distance provides. After all, Kunsthalle Bern’s audience has always included people who do not travel to Bern, Switzerland. This exhibition’s approach to such a constellation of individual and social realities might be understood as an invitation to reflect upon the confrontation of presence, and upon whom presence relies, wherever one might be. What is presence if not a response to what and who is not there, to the objects and objectivities that are absent and may to a limited extent be our influence.

Welcome to Kunsthalle_guests Gaeste.Netz.5456. The guests are here. The guests are online and in the galleries. The guests are at Kunsthalle Bern. The guests are elsewhere.

Park McArthur’s (*1984, born in North Carolina, USA) work was previously exhibited at Kunsthalle Bern in the group exhibition Die Zelle, 2018.
Previous solo exhibitions include Essex Street, New York; MoMA, New York; SFMOMA, San Francisco; Chisenhale Gallery, London and Lars Friedrich, Berlin.
Selected group exhibitions include the Museum Ludwig, Cologne; Brooklyn Museum of Art, Brooklyn, New York; Secession, Vienna; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; MIT List Visual Arts Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts; The Wattis Institute, San Francisco; 32nd Bienal de São Paulo, São Paulo; MoMA PS1, New York; Ludwig Forum, Aachen.

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