All posts filed under: exhibition

Three Channel Video: (Re)Housing the American Dream: A Message from the Future, 2017

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(Re)Housing the American Dream: A Message from the Future Three-channel video, 2017 Duration 13:42 min How to imagine a future America when you are thirteen in what feels like a rather uncertain time? How are our desires and fears marked by the reality of today? How to give shape to these future imaginations through performative actions? Referencing Lygia Pape’s performance ‘Divisor’ and Simone Forti’s ‘Huddle’ the students create a sensorial cartography of the future, of the individual and the collective. They wrote a manifesto, embody the future creative work force, planted flags devised from silver emergency blankets in the neighborhood, took over the streets moving as one collective body and created a large-scale ‘monument of the future’ in public space in response to the Charlotteville protests. Collectively they imagined how we could move forward as a nation comprised of a multitude of histories and identities, like the group itself.   Director / Editor: Kirsten Leenaars Assistant Director: Zachary Hutchinson Camera: Ellie Hall and Paul deuth Sound: Brent Walquist Composer: Paul Deuth Performers: Alanis Aranda-Salgado, Iman …

Video Interviews: The Shape of Things (Come Tomorrow), 2017

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The Shape of Things (Come Tomorrow) Video, 2017 Duration 15:58 min Video interviews, part of (Re)Housing the American Dream:A Message from the Future The participants talk about their future selves, a future America and the future of the world – while reflecting back on our times today. What does it mean to be a human being? What does it mean to be of my culture? What does it mean to live in the place I do? What does it mean to have a voice? What does it mean to be an American? Director: Kirsten Leenaars Camera: Paul Deuth Sound: Brent Walquist Editing: Ellie Hall

Dangerous Professors

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Typographies of Hope (April 7, 2017, NY Times), 2017 Saturday May 13, 6 PM – 9 PM Triumph, 2055 W Cermak Rd, Chicago, IL 60608 https://www.facebook.com/events/427346977630466/?active_tab=about The Dangerous Professors, a curatorial project exhibiting over one hundred and fifty artists–educators, acts as a counter-action to the pervasive rightwing impulse whose spirit jeopardizes civil, artistic and academic freedom by calling out, shaming, and harming those it opposes. The exhibition responds by first inviting artists who define themselves as educators to participate, the result of which creates a list of art-educators that can be deemed, in the current political climate, as dangerous. Second, the exhibition portrays the spectrum of art done by the presumably “dangerous” educators, and has the potential to become “dangerous art.” Third, the exhibition will provide a publication that voices the individual concerns of the artists-educators participating in the show. The text will structure a platform for public dialogue that furthers the development of strategies toward radical education. Public event for the release of The Dangerous Professors Publication: Thursday, May 25, 6pm to 10pm Curator: …

Standards Variance

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​how are you feeling America, 2017 Friday May 12, 6 PM – 9 PM   Public Access, 3306 W. North Ave, Chicago, IL 60647 Exhibition continues until June 10th, 2017. Gallery open hours on Saturdays from 12-6pm. https://www.publicaccess.biz/standards-variance/ Standards Variance is a group show of speculative proposals around what is possible for urban space (empty lots, abandoned buildings, storefronts, green-space, etc.) in Chicago. Julia Arredondo, Stella Brown, William Camargo & Yvette Mayorga, Monica Chadha & Carlo Parente, Raul De Lara, Angela Davis Fegan, Alejandro Jimenez Flores, Alfredo Garcia, Danny Giles & Sharmyn Cruz Rivera, Jaclyn Jacunski, Leo Kaplan, Morten Kvamme, Kirsten Leenaars, Ruslana Lichtzier, Fran Lightbound, Kelly Lloyd, Lora Lode, John Lusis, Jesse Malmed, Nicole Marroquin, Victoria Martinez, Gabriel Montero, Nuria Montiel, Josh Rios, Bailey Romaine, Luis Rodriguez Rosario, Edra Soto, Third Object (Ann Meisinger, Raven Falquez Munsell, Gan Uyeda), Selina Trepp, Rafael E. Vera, Lisa Vinebaum, Aaron Walker, and Latham Zearfoss. Organized by Brandon Alvendia and Greg Ruffing.

“I’ve Got The Best Words”

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  Details wall drawing (20x12ft)  “I’ve Got The Best Words”, 2016. Evanston Art Center, 1717 Central Street, Evanston ​ Based on linguistic research and google searches around the language and words used by both candidates in the upcoming elections this work addresses the notion of language as something elusive, fleeting, troubled, tainted and at times powerful, ultimately questioning word’s power to align themselves with authenticity and meaning. And when are words ever “just a few words”? “Words matter when you run for president,” as Hillary Clinton reminded her opponent during the first presidential debate. Clinton was clearly admonishing Donald Trump for a season of off-the-cuff remarks and tweets which have been routinely misleading, false, hateful, derogatory, inflammatory, juvenile, and—most recently—“lewd.” Trump’s counter, at once boastful and inscrutable, is that he has “the best words.” For example Trump used most first person singular pronouns (I, me, my) while Clinton was more likely to use first person plural pronouns (we, us). Trump used twice as many empty words (e.g. anybody, everybody, nothing, thing) as Clinton. “I’ve Got the Best …

Three Channel Video: (Re)Housing the American Dream, 2016

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(Re)housing the American Dream, 2016 13:24 min During a 13-day video shoot personal histories and experiences from the participating middle school students served as metaphors to explore the real and imagined reality of the American Dream. The video raises questions about the notions of home, belonging and happiness in context of the American Dream. Delving into the complex notions of place, person, community, family, country, origin, land, or a moment of time as a site of identification, with being a person. The video ponders the enduring question of what it means to be human and how this has become inextricably from the question who we are to each other? How is the American Dream both an individual and collective dream? These young residents of Milwaukee imagined and (re)envisioned the American Dream and what is most required to allow this dream unfold. Director: Kirsten Leenaars Assistant Director: Lindsey Barlag Thornton Camera: Ellie Hall and Nick Drew Sound: Mathew Jinks and Paul Deuth Composer: Paul Deuth Editor: Kirsten Leenaars Participants: Alanis Aranda-Salgado, Iman Fatmi, Hannah Plevin, Grace …

We The People – video interviews, 2016

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We The People, 2016 16:59 min Part of the (Re)Housing the American Dream project. Interviews with all the participating middle school students about home, belonging, segregation, the American Dream, Donald Trump and immigration. Camera: Nick Drew Editor: Ellie Hall Images of the installation and show (Re)Housing the American Dream at the Haggerty Museum of Art: https://rehousingtheamericandream.wordpress.com/images-show-rehousing-the-american-dream-at-the-haggerty-museum-of-art/ Exhibition info: http://www.marquette.edu/haggerty/exhibit_2016_08_Leenaars.shtml