Ollie Goss’s Goose Song transforms the gallery space into a captivating spectacle reminiscent of an amusement park, with its own set of rules and regulations. Visitors are guided along pathways marked by arrows on the floor, leading them through the immersive installation in a single direction. The journey begins at a video viewing area where they are shown a montage of geese navigating bodies of water, interspersed with a town hall debate about land access and surreal performances featuring the artist embodying the spirit of a goose. A “swan song” refers to the rare, pleasing melody of the otherwise quiet animal as it approaches death. By contrast, the relentless shriek of the goose reminds us of the enduring spirit of resistance embodied by these often-overlooked creatures: Vocal in their dissent, they are elevated to emblematic figures within Goss’s creation, and the notion of a "goose song" emerges as a potent metaphor for resistance. Upon completion of the video experience, viewers are directed to join a queue that leads to the entrance of a makeshift tram ride shaped like a goose. Waiting in line beside stanchions, viewers are urged to engage in dialogue with fellow attendees. Thought-provoking questions adorn the stanchions, fostering discussions on rule-breaking, regret, and the societal implications of adherence to or defiance of rules.
Ollie Goss Written by Danielle Degon Rhodes
Once aboard the single-rider goose-shaped vehicle, participants embark on a fleeting, yet exhilarating 15-second journey around the curving track. As they manipulate an acceleration lever, the goose tram swiftly maneuvers through simulated waters, mimicking the unpredictable trajectories of the avian protagonist depicted in the video. The rider is faced with the conundrum of the goose and questions of their own adherence to the rules of the installation. Goss ingeniously coerces viewers into an act of conformity with which they must now come to terms. After riding within the form of the goose, viewers must confront their own role within the law and ultimately ask themselves, “how can I be more like the goose?”
Goose Song (detail)
Stanchions
Goose and the Commons
Goose Song
(ABOVE)
(TOP LEFT)
(TOP RIGHT)
(BOTTOM CENTER)
Photo credit: Neighboring States
Found poles, concrete, corrugated plastic, vinyl. 18” x48”. Photo credit: Natalia Puchiaroni
(still) Chipboard, house paint, monitor. 36” x72”. Video, 7:06. Photo credit: Neighboring States, Video credit: Harold Batista
Track: OSB, ply, vinyl, PVC; Goose: Ply, house paint, joint compound, motor, casters, embedded speakers with audio from Bartram’s North; Stanchions: Found poles, concrete, corrugated plastic, vinyl. Dimensions variable. Photo credit: Neighboring States
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TYLER SCHOOL OF ART AND ARCHITECTURE MASTER OF FINE ARTS CATALOG 2024
OLLIE GOSS
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