'Hotline' by ArtDept (Rebecca Weeks & Ian Whitford)

about the artwork

Continuing in our neo absurdist critique of contemporary culture and in our re-appropriation of corporate aesthetics we created a flat pack phone booth, a faux promotional video loop of a smiling man prompting the audience to dial the hotline number, and through collaboration with a programmer an automated skype phone server. The server delivered a performance writing script that offered menus for the audience to select from using the touch pad phones as they were funnelled deeper and deeper into an increasingly self referential disorienting lexicon.

about the artist

Rebecca Weeks
(b. 1979, London) Is an artist and curator living and working in Penzance, Cornwall. She has a BA in Fine Art (The University Of The West Of England, 2002) and an MA in Arts And Cultural Management (Dartington College Of Arts, 2005).

Ian Whitford
(b.1971, Truro, Cornwall) Is an artist, curator and graphic designer . He has a BA in in Fine Art In Context from The University of The West of England, 2002.

ArtDept...
Rebecca and Ian co-founded ArtDept in 2002. Together they have exhibited at the Newlyn Orion Gallery – ALIAS Live Art Platforrn (2003), Live Art Falmouth (2007), Dartington College Of Arts Gallery, Exchange Gallery Penzance and curated 'Ignition', a Live Art/Digital show at the Acorn Theatre, Penzance (2004). Recently they co-curated & exhibited at ‘Invigorate’ a four day ALIAS event focused on developing a critical dialogue around artist led activity, 'Invigorate' was hosted by the Exchange Gallery, Penzance. Artdept works with live art, video, installation, curation and writing. 'Artdept' is interested in usurping and parodying the apparatus of power, in redirecting systems and structures and in questioning their validity.

---