The Visual Arts Department at Western places a strong emphasis on creating links between the practices of art historical research,
theoretical investigation, and studio production. With "The Klein Mystery" a course was offered that provided a vital site for the aforementioned pursuits to weave together within the classroom setting. As well, the exhibition of the same name became an exciting venue for displaying the material investigations that manifested how fully the participants in the course had taken on Klein. What better way to understand the sometimes cryptic and often audacious practices of an artist such as Yves Klein, than to replicate the pigments he became so famous for "patenting", to reconstruct a void, or to commission a one-note stringed instrument performance? This project evidences that history and practice may be usefully linked within a framework which allows a "praxis" that casts the past forward, and reconstitutes our sense of the present cultural moment.

Patrick Mahon
Graduate Chair 
 

To view stage by stage video captures of the balloon release, click here.