The hidden response.

On 2 July 2022, 31 Disabled artists were set to disrupt 30 locations with surreal interventions, in recognition of the 102nd anniversary of the first DaDa International Exhibition in Berlin. 

DaDa is dead. Long live DaDa! 

 

There were actually 32 artists possibly more! One was not Hidden and un-invited yet was in London performing in true Dada style on the millennium bridge. It was Cracked painter an artist with disabilities and Gold Bricks?

“I was told not to, but I came anyway”. Said Crackedpainter.

 

Three gold bricks were initially set up and first shown in an exhibition in Devon. Titled  

Subject<>Object. (2022) this was the first part of THE HIDDEN RESPONSE project - 3gold bricks Placed upon an antique plinth. Art, Anti-art, considering Carl André in part and Adam Reynolds and the readymade. Performance and the placement of an object along with art history combining rules/breaking them too and working with opposition. 

 

 JOHN BALDWIN the Artist, director and creator changed the sculpture, over the duration of the exhibition in Devon visiting respace calling it a “count down”. And with the title - SUBJECT <>OBJECT. 

Visiting the gallery on occasions only known to him, to dust and clean the pedestal at the same time. Then he brought a variation to London. Two Bricks had changed.

 

Part 2 LONDON>

 

This time there is something different.

 Three gold bricks had appeared on the famous bridge in London, The Millennium footbridge with a “replacement” brick that appeared to be a real rough smelted bar of gold. Flanked by security the three “Gold” bricks were transported arranged and photographed. A homage to Adam Reynolds a artist with disabilities and the equivalent viii of Carl André. And a further artist, Salvatore Garau, and the works of the Dada movement.

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An engineering brick. A London brick, A gold brick? On a spray painted flat white, Taped in black and yellow.

 “A prelude to a broken window ii. Part of A trilogy.” By John Baldwin (No plinth) @ 

Millennium bridge, London SE1 and EC2.

 

Did people really walk past a gold brick? In the center of London?

The security that was present certainly looked nervous when the artist invited spectators to interact with the objects.

One of the youngest participants said of the bricks after touching them excitedly exclaiming one was real gold, one was a little real and one was not real at all!

 

 Could an emerging artist, in a small village in Devon with disabilities be the most seen real-world performance artwork in London in a single day? 

With an estimated 2000 people on the bridge at any one time it’s certainly plausible however that honor surely belongs to the chewing gum artist, Ben Wilson with an amazing 400 pieces of work along the bridge. Beautifully hidden!

 Crackedpainter and his intervention could be a first in different ways. 

 

“The Hidden Response” is a study into the  “neo-neurological movement” an artistic approach to creating new thinking about the brain and why we create art, the qualities it can bring to wellness and wellbeing. 

 

“With the technology that is present in our world today the philosophical/ metaphysical bridges we have to cross needs serious contemplation, possibilities are endless with contemplation to medical delivery and the treatments of neurological conditions, it is a fascinating branch of artistic research.” 

John acquired funding from the Arts Council England in November 2021. He has selected  a number of invited artists both trained and untrained with the help of a developing creative practice award and a with an ever-growing scientific community with a love of art.  The project reaches out in eleven different languages and has reached a Multitude of Universities all over the world.