It began with a basic idea. Stage a performance in which the artwork is watching people standing in line to view the artwork. We decided to present this idea during one of our monthly OTO presentations at our studio. To expand the idea, we planned on presenting the installation as the work of another artist. We selected Eva and Franco Mattes (0100101110101101.ORG.) as our surrogates and contacted them with an outline of our plan. They graciously agreed. In exchange for the use of Mattes identity, we gave them half ownership of the work.

Once we had our Surrogates, we sent out a press release and posted on the OTO website an announcement for the show.

surrogate - substitute, proxy, replacement; deputy, representative, stand-in, standby, stopgap, relief, pinch-hitter, understudy.

Eva and Franco Mattes continue their investigations into power, authorship and identity with “The Surrogates” a new performance based video project. Combining elements of theater, video, surveillance, and social interaction, “The Surrogates” transforms OTO into an experimental social space questioning the distinction between the viewer and the viewed.

On Friday April 11, 2008 the two-hour piece began at 7 p.m. with an open bar and velvet rope welcoming attendees in the hallway. Inside the OTO space proper, two rows of two lawn chairs (numbered 1-4) faced a low stage featuring a 4′x6′ projection screen (center) and a small television monitor (stage right). Attendees entered the darkened room four at a time. Their assigned seats faced a slightly delayed projection of themselves. The monitor revealed hallway waiting activity in real time.

The attendees in the room (now participants) were given little explanation of the piece, though they were invited do as they pleased within the space and to leave at their leisure. Re-entry was not permitted however, and those exiting the piece were immediately replaced by those next behind the velvet rope.



The day after the exhibition, MTAA posted online that while the Mattes (0100101110101101.ORG.) are credited as the authors of “The Surrogates”, MTAA designed, built and executed this work in its entirety.



The following roughly 15 minute video is documentation of the first four participates in the 2 hour Surrogates performance.

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