Public Provisions was a collaborative project initiated by Theodore Darst and Louis Doulas, first exhibited at Version Festival at The Co-Prosperity Sphere in Chicago, IL

During the entirety of the exhibition, an artist or artists is situated at a table, with a laptop connected to a projector. The public is invited one at a time to make content suggestions to the artist via writing their suggestions onto a notepad located on the table. The artist responds to these suggestions through the creation of an image.  The artist may use any software available to her as well as other images to produce the work. The process of her production is made viewable via the projection behind her. After completion of the work, she will then title, save and print the work out to hang on a wall closest to her. The quantity of work is determined by the number of people willing to participate. The content of the work is first determined by the suggestions of the public.

Modern improvisational comedy is typically based around the idea of maintaining interactivity between audience and actor.  Using the audience’s suggestions, the actor improvises a performance, a routine that demonstrates a will to forgo creative authority and structure over a comedic gesture and instead allow for a certain performative growth.  A reminder that, “This wouldn’t be funny without you, and you wouldn’t be laughing if it weren’t for me”.

The materialization of this project heavily relies on public participation; it serves as a starting point that may yield finished pieces or nothing at all. The conclusion of the exhibition calls for all of the printed works to be discarded. By using physical exhibition as an access point for publicly collaborative works, the exhibition space is used as a process rather than as a vessel for predetermined final products.

This project is open to reproduction, therefore feel free to perform/exhibit this project on your own.

2010