Taking the name of the project space seriously—that is, living in ‘a van down by the river’ as the pinnacle of a failed life—"failsafe" is a public gathering with failure at its centre. Within the project, Sudoku puzzles are positioned as a Sisyphean task, a futile labour with no end and little productive value.
“The Sisyphean rule or restriction is brought into play only to then be occupied ambivalently (even humorously at times) where the failure of the action is not only inevitable but is rather encouraged—a desirable deficit which inversely produces an unexpected surplus, the residue or demonstration of wasted energy.” (Emma Cocker, "Over and Over, Again and Again", 2009)
"failsafe" explores how this unexpected surplus and the seeming inability to “succeed” in the performed action can seductively reveal porosity or flexibility within the rigid frameworks that make up our daily lives under capitalism. To paraphrase Cocker, by deferring closure or completion, the “Sisyphean Loop” could be understood as “a mode of resistance through which to challenge or even refuse the pressures of dominant goal-oriented doctrines”.
Those who attended the exhibition's opening/closing received an 11x17” poster that highlights their (non)achievements, difficult-to-eat hot dogs, and a renewed appreciation for past, present and future failures.
The event took place from 6–8PM in the gravel parking lot behind the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Guelph (115 York Street).
“failsafe” was one in a pair of projects co-curated by Shalaka Jadhav and sophia bartholomew for A Van Down by The River.
The paper in this paper clay sculpture is blended up motivational postersDigi photos by me, film photos by sophia bartholomew