SPACES is bringing technology and politics to the forefront of their exhibits while also giving back to a community of Cleveland artists.
SPACES, the art space that works as a public forums for select artists tackling timely issues, is re-opening this Thursday, January 28th. They’re also debuting three new exhibits in honor of the reopening that deal with politics, tech and community; one exhibit is virtual, and the other two are in person.
The virtual exhibit is titled APOLOGIZE TO AMERICA lens and is by Leo Selvaggio, a multidisciplinary artist and designer. The piece is an Augmented Reality experience, and this type of technology has grown increasingly popular with apps like Instagram and Snapchat over the years. The interactive experience zeroes in on American politics by mapping and overlaying the 45h president’s face onto the face of the participant. The image is not as realistic as it is fantasy-based–and it gives the audience member one motive: issue an apology to America.
The first of two in-person exhibits is titled Please Don’t Let It Be Too Close and is by Alicia Grullón, an artist-in-residence at The Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics at New York University. She also did a virtual residency with SPACES where she interviewed working-class people living in Cleveland. The work itself that she is presenting at SPACE is a video and exhibition that used what she learned to create a video that speaks to how election and pandemic affected workers in Cleveland.
Finally, there’s the Season Pass Artist 2021 Exhibition that will highlight the work of SPACE’s artist members. Others can vote for their favorite in the competition for People’s Choice Winner. Some of the artists highlighted are Lena Atomika, who’s near-death experience pushed her to pursue art, Alex Heard, a performance artist and costume designer, and Chi-Irena Wong, an installation and watercolor artist, just to name a few. The exhibition is free and open to all, and SPACES will be taking precautions to ensure safety of guests.
source: Ian Dooley via Unsplash