“Drift”
David Mutch
5 Sept → 25 Sept 2011

A Today Your Love Project

Situationist theorist Guy Debord defines the derive (drift) as “a mode of experimental behaviour linked to the conditions of urban society: a technique of rapid passage through varied ambiances.”

Drift is a series of undirected walks through the city. According to psycho-geographic theory we are subconsciously guided by the subtle aesthetics of our built environment, seeking authentic experiences of our world. Mechanised modes of travel disorient us and fragment our reality into a collection of microenvironments. By removing the frame of the windscreen or tram window and traversing Melbourne on foot, Mutch breaks down the restrictions of urban planning and uncover the sublime beauty of our city, experiencing it anew.

The walks will be undertaken in small groups, and our findings will culminate as material for a collaborative body of work to be exhibited as part of Today Your Love at West Space.

David Mutch’s practice encompasses sculptural installation, video, photography & sound. His current work documents a search for secularly spiritual sites and experiences in contemporary urban environments. Recent solo exhibitions include: Why Did Aliens Build the Pyramids?, 2011, Beam Contemporary, Melbourne; Inverse Universe, 2011, Rearview, Collingwood; and The Tourists, 2010, Seventh, Fitzroy.