OBEY in the Baltic

The Baltic is the Newcastle Centre for Contemporary Art, situated on the other side of the Millennium Bridge, in Gateshead. To visit the Baltic is a must for anyone who spends some time in Newcastle, even if it's only five minutes! My favourite piece in the Baltic for the moment is the staircase: screens all over the length of the hall each show the face of a person singing songs of John Lennon's first album Plastic Ono Band. So you get the impression that you are listening to a choir. The fascinating thing is that if you lean closely to one of the screens, you hear that particular person closer in your ear. Each of the singers is casually dressed and has his or her own style. For instance, there is one singer who really looks very confused all the time, not quite singing in the rythm. In between the songs, the singers drink from their water bottle, cough, sigh or whistle. Moreover, there is the Mona Lisa-effect: no matter where you go, all of the singers seem to stare at you! And their stare is not just an empty, hollow one, no, they really seem to interact with you. The volume is quite high what increases the appaling, awe-inspiring effect! Wandering in between those singers for fully twenty minutes (which was way too short) will forever be an unforgetable experience for me. The concept is a creation of Candice Breitz. And really, if travelling would be quicker and cheaper still, I would oblige you all to come to Newcastle just to experience this wonderful concept.
While you would then be here, I would show you also my favorite piece before I discovered Breitz. OBEY has been fully explained on obeygiant and I strongly advice you to have a look at it! To give you an inkling of the feeling you get when admiring the piece in the Baltic, I have typed out the text on the POSTER which is part of the concept. On the poster (thanks for the picture, Els) you can see a face, the default OBEY-face, and 'OBEY' written underneath.

This is a POSTER graphic. This writing is the DESIGN upon the POSTER.
The DESIGN is used to help SELL the POSTER. We hope to draw your
attetion (sic) to it and encourage you to look at it. When you have done
that maybe you’ll be persuaded to buy the POSTER, in this case an OBEY
POSTER. Then we want you to hang it. The idea being that the more of
you that hang this, the more other people will see it, and the more
others will be indoctrinated by our propaganda, adding steam to the
already vicious momentum of the OBEY juggernaut toward ultimate world
domination. This can be a symbiotic relationship with OBEY because
hanging a clever, or at least “conceptual” POSTER design can make one
feel superior, a feeling which can also lead to PLEASURE. A good POSTER
DESIGN will attract more buyers and give more pleasure. Therefore,
buying a POSTER creates pleasure. When feeling depressed, do not
forget this. OBEY is most known for creating eye-catching pictures.
This writing is trying to pull you in much like an eye-catching pic-
ture. It is designed to get you to READ IT. This is called luring the
VICTIM, and you are the VICTIM. But VICTIM of what? You have an in-
quisitive nature and discriminating intellect, so you want information
but you will not be manipulated by subversive sales tactics. But you
are a mover and shaker who’s time should not be wasted on gimmicks, so
you should STOP READING NOW! because all we are attempting to do is to
get you to read on. Yet this is a DOUBLE BIND because if you indeed
stop you’ll be doing what we tell you, and if you read on you’ll be
doing what we wanted all along. And the more you read on, the more
you’re falling for this simple design device of telling you exactly
how a good commercial design works. But, you have a free mind so you
can decide for yourself. Exercise your free will. Psychological ploys…
they’re TRICKS and this is the worst TRICK of all since it’s describ-
ing the TRICK whilst trying to TRICK you, and if you’ve read this far
then you’re TRICKED but you wouldn’t have known this unless you’ve
read this far. At least we’re telling you directly instead of seducing
you with a beautiful or haunting visual that may never tell you. We’re
letting you know that you ought to buy this POSTER because in essence
it’s a PRODUCT and PODUCTS are to be consumed and you are a consumer
and this is a good PRODUCT. and good products make you superior, and
superiority brings you pleasure. We could have written the company’s
name in special lettering so that it stood out and you’d see it before
you’d read any of this writing and possibly have bought it anyway.
What we are really suggesting is that you are FOOLISH to buy or not
buy a POSTER merely for the pretty picture. This is a con because
if you agree then you’ll probably like this writing – which is the
POSTER design. Reflexivity ought not to be so ironic and paradoxical,
but life is not always simple. Things are not always what they seem
or sometimes they are even more of what they seem, or land somewhere
in between,or both, or neither. But… we’re just warning you of all
that. A con is a con. A good POSTER design could be considered as one
that gets you to buy the POSTER, but that never actually happens to YOU
because YOU know it’s just a design for the POSTER, and a con. And this
is the POSTER. A POSTER that is evidence of an awareness of, or a sus-
ceptibility to, CONSPICUOUS CONSUMPTION. A product of OBEY… repeat.

(for the reference of this text, I refer to the website)