We may have hidden behind our speech at this apalling moment, or something

Parallax II, Chelsea College of Arts, London, 2016

 

 

 

A 4-letter fluorescent striplight array slowly works through a set of art-school anticipations. The tubes fail at random one by one over the course of the exhibition, garbling the words.

 

WE MAY HAVE HIDD EN BEHI ND OUR SPEE CH AT THIS APPA LLIN G MOME NT OR EXPL ICAT ION WILL NOT ONLY HAVE BEEN THE STUL TIFY ING WEAP ON OF PEDA GOGU ES OR THE NEUT RAL OBSE RVAT ION OF FACT S WILL HAVE BEEN OPPO SED TO THE ACTI VE PROD UCTI ON OF A MODE L OR SHAM EFUL ACTI VITI ES OR SOME THIN G WILL HAVE CREA TED UNRE ST OR DOUB T OR SCEP ICIS M OR ACTI ONS WILL HAVE CREA TED DREA MS AND NOT THE REVE RSE OR A ROTT EN CARC ASS OR SOME THIN G WILL HAVE BEEN TOSS ED OVER A WALL OR EUPH EMIS MS OR SOME THIN G WILL HAVE VIED FOR ATTE NTIO N OR AGEN CY WILL HAVE REAL LY ONLY EVER BEEN THE AGEN CY OF FUTU RE PEOP LE OR SOME THIN G OR AN EVEN T WILL HAVE BEEN MEAS URED IN TERM S OF ITS BODY COUN T OR AN INDI VIDU AL WILL HAVE LIVE D OUT AN ANGU ISHE D EXIS TENT IAL CRIS IS OR SOME THIN G AGAI NST A BACK DROP OF BARR ICAD ES OR CHAN GE WILL HAVE BEEN UNTH INKA BLE OUTS IDE OF A NARR ATIV E OR SOME THIN G OR THE SPAC E OF CIRC ULAT ION WILL HAVE BEEN THE SPAC E OF CIRC ULAT ION OR THE RELA TION SHIP BETW EEN BEAT ERS AND BEAT EN WILL HAVE BEEN AN ANTI DIAL ECTI C OF ABSO LUTE DIFF EREN CE OR SOCI ALIS ATIO N WILL HAVE BEEN DEVO ID OF STRU CTUR AL CONT ENT OR HALF HEAR TED AMBI GUIT IES WILL HAVE COME ACRO SS AS SWAS HBUC KLIN G CALL S TO ARMS OR POST FORD IST WORK ING COND ITIO NS WILL HAVE BEEN BREA THLE SS OR A CURA TOR WILL HAVE BEMO ANED INDE TERM INAT E DISC LAIM ERS OR SOME THIN G OF DIAL OGIC AL GOOD WILL OR THIN GS WILL HAVE GONE FROM BAD TO WORS E OR WE WILL HAVE ENAC TED A FUZZ Y VERS ION OF WHAT WE SOUG HT TO CRIT IQUE OR SOME THIN G OR A PEDA GOGY OF NAST Y SURP RISE S WILL HAVE WORK ED WOND ERS OR CONS EQUE NCES OR SOME THIN G WILL HAVE PLAY ED OUT LOCA LLY POIN T BY POIN T OR WE WILL HAVE DONE OURS ELVE S A DISS ERVI CE OR WE WILL HAVE DEMO NSTR ATED PREV AILI NG LIMI TS AS THEY REAL LY EXIS T OR SPON TANE OUS MODE S OF ATTE NTIO N OR SOME THIN G WILL HAVE IRRI TATE D AN ATTE NDAN T OR THE MOST BASI C TERM S OR SOME THIN G WILL HAVE DEMA NDED CONS TANT REDE FINI TION OR MARG INAL ISAT ION WILL HAVE BEEN UPHE LD AS A POSI TION FROM WHIC H TO ORGA NISE OR SOME THIN G OR SOME ONE WILL HAVE EXPL AINE D WHAT SOME ONE ELSE IS SAYI NG HERE OR NAME S WILL HAVE BEEN SCAR CELY VISI BLE IN A TANG LE OF LINE S OR SOME THIN G OR THE UNIT S OF A DISC OURS E WILL HAVE BEEN CALL LED NOTI ONS OR CONC EPTS OR CATE GORI ES OR SOME THIN G OR WE WILL HAVE HAD THES E MOTH ERS COMI NG INTO THES E SPAC ES OR THE CLAS S STRU GGLE WILL HAVE BEEN REDU CED TO A NAME FOR THE CATE GORI CAL VOID FROM WHICH H IT WILL HAVE EMER GED OR A NARR ATIV EUNC ERTA INTY OR SOME THIN G WILL HAVE PROV ED PROD UCTI VE OR SOME ONE WILL HAVE BEEN LOOK ING FOR SITE S BEYO ND THE ORGA NISE D WORK PLAC E FROM WHICH H TO ORGA NISE POLI TICA LLY OR THE WORL D WILL HAVE BEEN REDU CED TO SENS ATIO NS OR IDEA S WILL HAVE BEEN COMB INED IN A THEO RETI CALL Y UNST ABLE EQUI LIBR IUM OR SOME THIN G OR AN ALGO RITH M OR SOME THIN G WILL HAVE FACI LITA TED COLL ABOR ATIO N OR WE WILL HAVE GAIN ED KNOW LEDG E IN A CATA STRO PHIC FORM OR WORK WILL HAVE BEEN MODE RATE LY SYMB OLIC OR SOME THIN G OR ALTE RNAT IVE MECH ANIS MS FOR KNOW LEDG E FORM ATIO N OR SOME THIN G WILL HAVE BEEN PROM OTED WITH OUT IRON Y OR MEN WILL HAVE STOO D IN A SEMI CIRC LE AROU ND SOME STOO LS OR SOME THIN G OR A CYCL E OF RANC OUR AND DIST ORTI ON OR SOME THIN G WILL HAVE REVE ALED THE SIZE OF AN ABYS S OR WRIT ING WILL HAVE BEEN IMPO SED AS THE PHYS ICAL HOPE OF A COUN TER NARR ATIV E OR EDGE LESS NESS WILL HAVE BEEN REVE ALED AS AN IDEA L OR AN EXCE SSOR SOME THIN G WILL HAVE UNDE RMIN ED A STRU CTUR E OR A NARR ATIV E UNCE RTAI NTY OR SOME THIN G WILL HAVE PROV ED PROD UCTI VE OR A HEGE MONI C PATT ERN OR SOME THIN G WILL HAVE BEEN DEPI CTED AT PLAY OR TWO VOIC ES WILL HAVE LIED AND TWO WILL HAVE STAM MERE D OR SOME THIN G OR FORM S OF AUTH ORIT ATIV E NORM ALIS ATIO N WILL HAVE SLIP PED THRO UGH UNTH EORI SED OR DECE LERA TION WILL HAVE SURP RISE D AN ACAD EMIC OR SPEC TATO RS WILL HAVE BEEN MOWN DOWN BY NEOL IBER ALIS M OR SOME THIN G OR THEO RETI CAL PROP OSAL S WILL HAVE BEEN TRAN SFIG URED INTO TANG IBLE PREO CCUP ATIO NS OR SOME THIN G OR WE WILL HAVE BEEN LED TO CONF USE THE TRAJ ECTO RY OF A SYST EM WITH THE LAW OF ITS PROD UCTI ON OR OPAC ITY OR SOME THIN G WILL HAVE OFFE RED A STRA TEGI C MARK ET ADVA NTAG E OR A PRES ENTA TION WILL HAVE EXCE EDED THE CAPA CITY OF ITS HOST INST ITUT ION OR A TAUT OLOG Y OR SOME THIN G WILL HAVE BEEN REHE ARSE D OR PERF ECTL Y ORTH ODOX POSI TION S WILL HAVE APPE ARED SUBV ERSI VE OR MINO R OVER RECR UITM ENT WILL HAVE HAD A KNOC K ON EFFE CT OR SOME THIN G OR AN ALLI ANCE WILL HAVE WORK ED TO SIMU LATE A FICT IVE COHE RENC E OR INEQ UALI TIES OR SOME THIN G OR WORK WILL HAVE DEPI CTED RELA TION S RATH ER THAN EMBO DYIN G THEM OR THIN GS WILL NOT HAVE HAPP ENED BY THEM SELV ES OR PERS ONS WILL HAVE SUCC ESSI VELY OCCU PIED POSI TION S OR SOME THIN G OR SPEC TATO RIAL EXER TION OR SOME THIN G WILL NOT HAVE BEEN PURS UED OR