If a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to Instagram it, does it really happen? ​ ​

A project by IKO for IsThisIt? where four UK based artists have been invited to produce a piece of writing following on from themes in one another’s texts. Each text is released weekly over a month period beginning on 22 January 2018 on the IsThisIt website. The project begins with a text by the first writer, Caitlin Merrett King that interprets the project title (If a tree falls…). The proceeding writer interprets this text, choosing from it; a sentence, phrase or word to base their writing on, similar to a Wikipedia chain where linked content from one page leads to another, and then another, and then another. ​ ​

The title is an adaptation from the philosophical thought experiment; ‘If a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?’ Spanning from these ideas in a present day art context are questions of whether an artwork or exhibition has any agency if it is not seen or known by others; if it is not networked; if it is not referred from a trusted or familiar source. ​ ​

In addition, we (IKO) are interested in how the literal network of these texts (referencing one another), on the web of content from the IsThisIt website (amongst other art media) introduces a new type of agency to the project. Does the standardisation of networked media derail un-networked content as less trustworthy or insignificant? ​

22.01.18 | CAITLIN MERRETT KING
29.01.18 | ISOBEL WOHL
05.02.18 | GEORGE YARKER
12.02.18 | JACK BRINDLEY


itskindof.com | isthisitisthisit.com