Principle of Gathering
The Principle of Gathering is composed as a system of different dispositions of predetermined objects. Its performance is operated by the same repertoire of objects. The elements of the Principle of Gathering belong to a stable repository of objects including 11 mattresses, 9 pillows, 2 microphones, 1 projector, 2 speakers, 6 floor standing lights, 8 tables, 15 high stools, 30 low stools and 25 chairs.
The repository of objects is also shown as a disposition for the room where the Principle of Gathering was functioning as main working room of documenta 14 in Athens. In this sense the repository of the necessary objects for the Principle of Gathering was the means through which the team of the curators and artists of documenta 14 settled in the most prominent space of Athens School of Fine Arts, the Prevelaki Hall in Patission street.
The Principle of Gathering is structured by two main stable elements, a floor and a screen forming the platform on which most of the dispositions are operated. The dispositions are shown in the Manual of Use where 11 typical settings are described and shown. The curators, artists and collaborators of documenta 14 were asked to pick one of the dispositions of the Manual or create alternatives that would suit them better. After the use of the Floor and Screen platform the repository of objects was reordered in one of the 11 Manual’s dispositions.
One of the dispositions named Adventures of Pillows and Mattresses is stabilized and repositioned as a single island of objects in the Empty Library project, functioning after the opening of documenta 14 in a different space, piece donated to the Athens School of Fine Arts.
Photo: Fake Office
The 11 different scenographies of the Principle of Gathering also show the orientation of every display through a honored object. Such honored objects belong sometimes at the category of selected electrical equipment; a single microphone introduces its own disposition where the mike is the protagonist, a projector or speaker phones too. The agglomeration of pillows and mattresses and the population of stools are set in a proposed way following the rationale of the honored objects; in this sense every disposition orients towards a setting for a lecture, a discussion, a screening, a recording always in a format that guarantees a small scale where the listeners are meant to be participants. The place offers a discussion setting oriented by devices which help some common view of documents or reference pieces while the lecture performance and studio recording was also part of the dispositions rationale. At the same time the mattresses in the “objects repository” guarantee a resting disposition where people can relax, lay down or have a nap since the space had to condense the most strong working hours and also host some relaxed working meetings or even small resting functions.
