Streamside Day Follies

An exhibition with moving walls;

Pierre Huyghe,

Streamside Day
Shown at the Irish Museum of Modern Art, 1995.
http://www.imma.ie/en/page_72394.htm
Originally commissioned by DIA:Chelsea, New York in 2003. Presented under its original name Streamside Day Follies.
http://www.diachelsea.org/exhibs/huyghe/streamside/

Several books have been written on the subject of follies; buildings built without a specific purpose, and of their creators. The most authoritative texts on this subject were written in the 1970's and since then few have attempted to decipher the rumours from any hidden truths. To understand or justify a happening never understood in its own epoch, from a latter distorted perspective, is understandingly difficult. Nonetheless many have tried, and not surprising together they form a beautiful collection of contradictions. At times they seem to vie with each other for the most outrageous reasoning behind these stone edifices.

Pierre Huyghe advertised for participants for a celebration of a new suburban settlement in upstate New York called Streamside Knolls. The events that the community participated in were intended to become new traditions. With activities and a parade designed and conceived by the artist, proceedings were filmed and became part of the film at the centre of his installation. In its original form the film was contained by a structure labelled as a folly, described by one review as reminiscent of a building site. In an earlier work Huyghe documented the 'half-built buildings surrounding Naples and Rome that circumvented tax legislation by never reaching completion. These buildings are often constructed in their owners spare time without proper plans or an architect and their significance for the artist is their open-ended or never-ending nature; they exist with the sole purpose of being eternally created.' 1

These statements insinuate the artist believes that these constructions are more of an on going hobby for their builders, rather than something ever meant to be completed. Its seems the artist sees these buildings as follies. A folly building could be defined as one that has no purpose; a purpose insinuating it has a use. To be used it would be imagined that it would need to be finished, complete.

The structure in the exhibition moved to contain the viewer of the film; their inhabited space changed around them;

"In its original form the installation was called Streamside Day Follies and was presented within a temporary-looking folly-like structure that would slowly arrange itself before each screening of the film in a mournful or graceful movement (on wheels) and slowly deconstruct itself afterwards. A folly is usually an ornamental building and not functional at all - in contrast with the houses that are being built in Streamside knolls which are soon to be inhabited by families." 2

In its most recent display at the Irish Museum of Modern Art the show was scaled down, with the folly structure removed.

1 & 2 http://www.recirca.com/reviews/2005/pierrehuyghe2/ph2.shtml