Summary- enchantments

The idea of enchantment works plays on the notion for audience to engulf themselves into the ideas and concepts that artists hope to convey through their works, predominantly seen through the utilisation of installation, unaffiliated with the environments in which it consumes or the particular sites that it inhibits.

It can be explored through Schwitters’ work ‘Merzbau’ that through the use of installation he creates an imaginative experience, where one can be transported to the visions of its creator and in so produces the works enchanting value. Through installation Schwitters allows on-lookers to immerse themselves in the possibilities of the filled space and have an intense experience or relationship where one can detach themselves from their everyday world or “life, from all things that disturb mankind”. Enchanted spaces are mostly not site-specific, and holds its complete meaning or achieves it’s purpose through the viewing or interaction of its audience members, in this it also suggests the unawareness of one may experience of one’s own self and body when looking upon or walking within the filled space rather than a connection of the environment they are situated in.

Marcel Duchamp, and his installation works can further explain the ideas of enchantment works. In ‘Etant Donnes’ audiences are called upon to interact and complete the work by peering through a peephole to a vision of a sexually provocative scene, and therefore through the viewers discomfort or newly found status of ‘spying’ achieve the intent of the work.  Through this idea Enchantment as expressed by Jeffrey Saletnik to ‘work on the assumption that the participant brings with him the tools- his body and his sense’ suggests the possible example of Disneyland to hold enchanting value, where all who involve themselves in the thematic environments and imaginative fantasy worlds, are called to participate and detach from the word of convenience, and into the ideals of enchantment and imagination.  Seen as a ‘leisure entertainment’ the theme park to holds expectant interaction and public participation, and showcases that non-artistic environments can like the ideals of enchantment installations both rely on its audiences to sought meaning, purpose or function.

Additionally works which later involved that of video installations have also contributed to the ideals of the Enchantment where audiences are rather called to reflect as opposed to participate, however achieving the same ideal of disassociation of the viewers personal world and involvement of themselves in the subject at hand. Through the use of exhibition spaces as opposed to cite specific environments works are enabled to focus upon the experience of the work rather than the relationship or connections it holds upon the space it inhibits, described by installation artist Kabakov as providing a ‘refuge’ where the focus in the works itself calls viewers to enthral themselves into the artworks and derive meaning through one’s own involvement of the works in place.