+ urbanart + Gracia Haby & Louise Jennison +

page detail from artists' book melbourne in 31 days and all five editions of 30 days in vienna

One month can zip by without notice or drag on for eternity. Occurrences within the month are sometimes remembered, but through the space of time, these memories can become distorted or blurred. Those who keep a diary might have a better sense of events gone by, however diaries are usually selective, mostly recounting significant highlights or misfortunes and rarely discussing the menial tasks undertaken on a daily basis. Most importantly, diaries are private and written only for the writer, not an audience. The documentation of events & experiences that occur within varying time-frames is a theme previously explored by the artists, specifically in a series of six artists' books created in 2000-01.

Their new work has three components - two artists books, Melbourne in 31 days & 30 days in Vienna, and a performance. The first component, an artists' book, undertaken in September 2001 , documents the artists' experience of one month in Melbourne. The second component is the performance occurring in Vienna, during which the artists document & present the experience of both one month in Melbourne & Vienna. The final stage is the compiling of the Vienna material into the second of the artists' book 30 days in Vienna upon their return to Melbourne.

Their project raises the question 'how does experience of one month in a city differ from any other?', seeking to remind us that experience of one month in one city is always subjective. Two different people living alternatively as residents & tourists in two different cities & two different time frames. The artists' account of one month in our home city lets us see it from a new perspective, whilst from the perspective of the tourist we are reminded of the possibilities a city can hold.

Georgia Cribb, 2002

Gracia Haby
Louise Jennison
gracialouise.com
Full essay by Georgia Cribb