Marc Buchy
Gymnastique Oculaire
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Keywords : knowledge, control, acquisition, conceptual, surveillance, tool, activation, point of view, movement, ocular, visual fatigue, physical experience, body, humour, protocol, learning, capitalism, performance
The contemporary eye is constantly pushed to its limit, exposed to thousands of images a day. How many images have you already seen today before reading this?
Reflecting with humor on the notions of performance, mechanization and learning, the conceptual works of the artist Marc Buchy questions the act of watching. They are invitations to grasp and perform within the space offered by his protocols.
In Gymnastique Oculaire, the symbols – arrows, spiral, square – could conceal some hidden meaning, abstract visualization of complex realities. They are in fact originating from a series of numbered instructions, yoga exercises to train your eye-balls and build up muscle. Did you know that no less than 7 muscles control the movements of each eye?
Straight lines, then diagonals, zig zag and loops gradually makes the exercice your eyes have to perform more and more difficult. In a society pushing everyone to its limits, even the eye doesn’t escape this culture of performance.
But does a fit eye see better? What about a trained eye? Does it enhance your visual performance?
If you take a few minutes to practice these exercises every day, including this tiny and almost invisible choreography in your workout routine, let us know.
Ricochets
A subjective selection of links echoing this work, like ripples︎ Strauss, Hannah Hoch
︎ Ways of seeing, Grace Ndiritu (en)
︎ Les sonas, Index Graphic (fr)
︎ Drishti Bheda, Eye movemements in Bharatanatyam
︎ Subject Matter, John Baldessari
Marc Buchy
Born in 1988 in Metz, Marc Buchy lives and works in Bruxelles. During his studies, the artist committed to never learn dance and astronomy, thus affirming the value of amateurism as an approach to disciplines. The question of knowledge, how it is shared, appropriated, how it circulates, is central to his practice.
In his works, often conceptual, sometimes immaterial, he develops processes and protocols, often implying the participation of the public. He’s interested in the way we see, processes of domination and transmission.
Website : http://www.marcbuchy.com/
I want to go further :
︎ Watch this video interview for Marc Buchy’s exhibition at BPS22 in 2020︎ Watch this conference of Marc Buchy at ENSP (Arles) in 2022