The Body as a Domestic Animal
Benjamin Orlow posits leisure and self improvement as a new utopia in which certain activities, destinations, travel and special objects are the means for achieving a happier life, being more relaxed, stress free and possibly even more productive as a result. Work and ordinary life can feel heavy but certain situations and methods exist to cancel out the built up tensions and make us achieve more in life, profanely and spiritually.
Acting as an explorer in the sought after leisure-realm, Orlow places himself within the myriad of possible situations and activities which exist in order to obtain the desired results; health, improvement, new skills, new knowledge, vacation, relaxation etc.
For Work/Leisure Orlow continues his ongoing investigation in Blackpool as part of his ongoing project The body as a domestic animal (2012 -). This project looks at the social factors of self improvement and what it means to someone that an other person has gone through a personal journey.
Orlow is careful not to disturb the actual activity. He seeks to experience it and document it, after-the-fact in an ongoing series of short video explanations given by the people directly involved in arranging the activities. These quasi-instructional videos, detail to the viewer what the benefits or pleasurable aspects of the activities are and why the activity should be done.
Prehistoic Fields (2016)
Corridor8 Interview with Michael D’Este
Benjamin Orlow (b. 1984) Selected recent and upcoming projects include; A long time ago, but somehow in the future (Sinne, FI 2014); Benjamin Orlow (Ve.sch, AU 2013); Benjamin Orlow (WAM Museum of Contemporary Art, FI 2009. Group and Screenings; The Start of Autumn (Hordaland Kunstcenter, NO 2015); Mono 2 (Courtyard Theatre, UK 2015); Concerning the bodyguard The Tetley, UK 2014); Proxy Special (Platform Arts, UK 2014); The forgotten memory guide (Fahrenheit, US 2014); A long time ago but somehow in the future (KIASMA, FI 2014); Kunstahalle Roveredo (MJ Gallery, CH 2013); How to read world literature (The Public school New York, US 2013); Vltava (Divus Prague CZ, 2013); Started 2012 (Galerie NTK, CZ 2013); Syndicate III (54 Gracechurch Street, UK 2013); Carte Blanche (Andorra, FI 2013); Walking Sideways (ICA London, UK 2013); TIL Gallery (The Video Dream Mixes, UK 2012); Startpoint Prize (Victoria Art Center, RO 2012); Cash Nexus (AS Gallery, PL 2012); Princípios Flexor (Gramatura Project Space, BR 2012); Startpoint Prize (DOX Center of Contemporary Art, CZ 2012); Laura Morrison Benjamin Orlow (Studio 1.1, UK 2012); MFA Final Show (Goldsmiths College, UK 2012) Sea Notes: sad news (XL Art Space, FI, 2012).
WORK/LEISURE 