Sekula thus surprised ESL by his decision to prescreen his work as a project for us. ESL thought that this process of trying audiences by showcasing an "unfinished" film was an interesting method for the absorption of ideas, as it emulated the marketing strategies that the entertainment industry typically relies on (the use of focus groups). ESL thought that the idea of presenting a film's content, as it works its way from concept to completion through the filter of pre-screening, was a great aesthetic experiment that both challenges curatorial and museographic strategies.
The curatorial need to have a finished object has strange dislodging consequences on ideas and creativity. In other words- does the nature of having to submit to a final art 'object-hood' promote cultural and social creativity? ESL's only requirement- that the artist be given a space to elaborate works-in-progress- helps to gauge a certain line of thinking about culture and society, one without the problematics of institutional demands that insist on interpreting the ideas of artists even if that means to move away from the artist's considerations and thinking.
ESL does not seek to create demographics, nor does it desire to build audiences for artists. This is a challenge to the artists that participate in ESL, as well as for whatever audience makes itself available. It does not have to maintain any loyalty to ESL and its programming, nor does it have to agree with the artists chosen during the volume. Even so, the audience's autonomy is not compromised by the need to have one; as far as ESL is concerned, the ideal aesthetic experiment occurs almost without such an audience.
With this in mind, it was interesting to note that the work was not immune to commentary. The audience available that night was persistent and critical about the choices and directions the artist is taking, which resulted in a very interesting, almost intimate discussion about the nature of work-in-progress, especially from the likes of an established artist such as Allan Sekula.
