Collaboration and Interactivity: The Art of M. Simon Levin
Whispering Volumes (installation view at Surrey Public Library)
M. Simon Levin is an artist based in Vancouver, BC. In his practice, Simon interrogates public and social systems through a lens of collaboration and interactivity. Many of the artists works have a performative aspect to them, and utilize shared spaces to ask and answer conceptual questions.
Many of Simon’s works involve collectives of individuals coming together either physically or through remote means, producing work in the form of long-term collaborations and research gathered over several months or even years. There’s a meticulous, scientific edge to much of Simon’s work, sometimes reminiscent of work by the likes of Forensic Architecture, where the artwork is not so much the finished project, but the acts and processes carried out over time to achieve it.
In his art portfolio, Simon showcases his works with detailed descriptions and selected images -- the sense here is that there will always be an element missed in the capturing and retelling of such experiential works, a kind of “you had to be there,” and yet a common thread of understanding as these pieces often reflect everyday experiences in the current era.
