AC (Art Currents) Institute
Run by Holly Crawford, founder and director; I have
worked with Peter Frank, Lillian Fellmann, Christine Licata, Sonya
Hofer, Joseph Di Ponio, Stephen Squibb, Nicole Behout, Sonja
Hofstetter, John Rooney, Amy Pivak and Eddy
Villatoro.
New York, New York
I started AC Institute in 2004, less than a year after I
was awarded my Ph.D. in Art History and Theory. It was started as
a publication of very, very short reviews and research on collaborative
art practices. An edited book--Artistic Bedfellows--was the end result.
I'm art historian and artist who works with critics, curators, and art historian.
We then work with artists who are engaged in experimental work in all
areas. I decided, in 2005, to use a white limosine as an
experimental space. I worked with the Armory in NYC. Critical
Conversations in a Limo and Sound Art Limo was then invited to the
Melbourne International Arts Festival and then to the Lab in SF. The projects
are Critical Conversations in a Limo, Sound Art Limo with Harvest works,
Flatland Limo, and Live in the Limo. Another project from this early
period was Outsource Critics, which will be published next month. I then
decided to rent space in Chelsea. AC currently has 4 small spaces in
an art building. In two years we have given 100 hundreds of artists
exhibitions. We will be taking one large space in July in the same building
for two more years. We are also working on more publications. I
have applied for public funds. I'm not paid, but I pay everyone else
and the rent. It is a non-profit art space for experimental
work. Sometimes that seems to happen. Right now I there are about 4
people who work part-time. I work all the time.
I or we decided on projects. I ask people to do certain
parts of projects. This depends on their abilities. We all look at the
proposals and discuss them. We discuss how things worked and how they
could work better. I generally let people run with things and see how it
goes. Then I have to step back and see if it's working: who is doing what
and do they need more help.
Holly Crawford
