Portable Pedestal

Portable Pedestal is a pedestal as well as a frame for exhibiting audiences’ objects or drawings. It is made by overlapping a small pedestal with a frame, and it can be folded in half to be easily moved to other places. A handle is attached to make it convenient for participants to carry.

This work is passed along, moving between audiences’ personal spaces. A user places their chosen object or drawing on it, takes a photograph, and posts it on Instagram with the hashtag #JJEE56U along with their signature. Afterward, the pedestal is passed on to another person.

Since Duchamp’s ready-made, every object can become an artwork. However, certain conditions are still required for something to be recognized as an artwork. Objects must be chosen by artists, and artists themselves must be socially approved or selected by curators. White walls and pedestals in exhibition spaces are also among the physical conditions required to transform objects into artworks.

In working on Portable Pedestal, I sought to present an alternative to these conditions. Participants can use this pedestal. They place on it an object or a two-dimensional form of their choice, by which their selection is granted the physicality of an artwork. By photographing and sharing it on social media, it acquires the exhibitionality of an artwork. Through this process, the participant becomes an artist. After completing the exhibition, the participant takes on the role of curator by selecting the next user. This pedestal transcends being a mere object, becoming an artistic medium that connects people to people. It also mediates the artistic authority and opportunities for creation of its participants.

The hashtag #JJEE56U was generated by the internet application Strong Random Password Generator. A search before creating it showed no existing results - this combination of letters and numbers was a new territory in digital space. Therefore, the act of posting the hashtag is not only about sharing the work but also about planting the possibility of art in a digital space that was previously empty.