Bay Area Exhibition Review

 

Domestic Integrities Rug

The exhibition The Possible at the Berkeley art Museum is a combination of the different processes involved in the creation of art. Pottery and ceramics, the dying and manipulation of textiles, experimentation with text, and sound are all included in this multi-sensory experience. The expedition was planned by David Laurence the curator, and Lawrence Rinder who directed it. The Possible emphasizes experimentation with art forms and collaboration between artists and the community. Unlike traditional exhibitions, it does not simply display art work like sculptures and paintings in an empty museum space, but offers an interactive experience.The Possible is interactive where the viewer has the chance to be both the viewer and a contributor. The art accumulates over time so there aren’t just a few pieces to experience, but many increasing displays and workshops. The stations that involved different types of art making were divided into sections titled things like The Library, Display, Recording Studio, The Something, Ceramics studio, Print Shop, Textile studio and Dye Lab. Each station offered unique experiences for all the senses to understand art and the making of art. The Berkeley Art Museum offers workshops every Sunday until the 25^th of May where the community can be led by artists in activities involving the different rooms. The rooms displayed both the contributions from the artists as well as contributions from volunteers and guests.

The Possible exhibition followed through different rooms that had different themes of art and sound production. The first room was titled “The Library” with shelves of books that people could pick out and photo copy. They could add it to the other contributions called “The Reader”. Surveys were done to find the inspirations of the artists. The surveys were put on the shelves for viewers of “The Library” to view, along with the copies that other guests contributed to the “installation”. Like the rest of the exhibition, this part of the Library room was expected to grow with workshops with the contributions made by visitors to the exhibition.A particular installation that stood out was the Fragrant Cabinet of Curiosities by Mandy Aftel and Jana Blankership. It was an interactive installation that differed from traditional gallery art. Many aspects of it encouraged the viewer not to simply view it but experience it with ones sense of smell. Mandy Aftel included a pamphlet of information about the scents that were on the display. Among them was Frankincense, cinnamon, jasmine, Ambergris, and Mint. She explains in the pamphlet that our sense of smell is one of our most important senses. She explains in the pamphlet the historical uses of the different plants that produce these scents. Outlined are the different ways that they can affect one’s body, mind and soul. The exhibition, although it invites you to smell and interact, it is also visually appealing. Arrays of colors are shown in the displays of butterflies, and in a color wheel. The different artifacts are displayed on the white cabinet. Glass bottles of herbs, ancient incense burners, and pinned butterflies make up the display. Even potted herbs that are labeled with their scent welcome you to participate in the art.

Me in Front of Fragrant Cabinet of Curiosities by Mandy Aftel and Jana Blankership

After the room that contains activities for “the Reader”, you move on to the next room of The Possible where a white Geometric structure with three tiers sits in the middle of the room. Unlike the library room, this installation fills up only the middle of the room with lots of empty space around it. It’s labeled Display and is a structure installation that was meant to be added to over time. The possible exhibition happens over the course of many weeks, so the Display is going to gather artwork from artists and the public over time and fill up all the tiers of the structure. Alexander Kori Girard is responsible for the structure design, while a crew with Kelly Bennett, Gary Bogus, Laura Hansen, Mike Meyers, and Scott Orloff, from the Berkeley Art Museum prepared the Structure. The Display is another example of the hands on gallery experience in The Possible. The ceramic sculptures and paintings that covered the top tier of the installation showed the encompassing effort of the community and artists to experiment and collaborate over time.

Me next to the Display by Alexander Kori Girard

The “Recording Studio” and “The Something” were two spaces next to each other that focused on the creation of sound and video. The “Recording Studio” had recording equipment for creating sounds and videos by artists and performers. Wires and sound equipment were placed on shelves against the wall. The “something” was connected to the Recording Studio and was filled with objects to created sound with. The floor was covered with sparkly foil that created a loud crumpling sound. Bean backs covered with foil and pieces of fabric were placed next to keyboards that could be played and used to record sound. A camera showed you enter the room on a projector. The room is filled with glittery objects, recording equipment and mirrors. A desk by the projector was covered with confetti and glittery cloth. The space feels the most tactile in the possible exhibition because of the all of the props to produce sound like the keyboards and the foil.

Detail of "The Something"

The lower level of the Berkeley Art Museum had the “Ceramics Studio” and the “Print Shop”. The Ceramics studio, like the other art rooms was dedicated to an art form where artists and the public could collaborate and create art. The ceramics masks and sculpture were displayed on shelves so that you could see the work that had been done in the studio. The “Print Shop” also focused on the collaboration of an art form. Shelves lined the wall with ink and stacks of paper and copy machines in the middle of the room. The other wall had a shelf with Scissors, staplers and whole punchers. Large prints of Abraham Lincoln that had been made with large rubber stamps covered the wall above the shelf. The rooms didn’t have any particular installation like the library or the Display. There purpose was more like the” Sound Studio” and “The Something” where the focus was on the creation of art and where its created rather than showing off the end product. 

Detail in "The Print Studio"

Detail of” Dye Lab”

The “Dye Lab” had the same concept as the Ceramics Studio and the Print Shop, where the tools for creating a type of object or art form were included in the room. Shelves with dyes, spools of thread, and plants for dying were placed near spinning wheels with wool, and a loom with half made cloth. The most eye catching part of this section was the installation near it that took up a large amount of space. The Domestic Integrities Rug by Fritz Haeg was made from clothing and textiles that were donated. The rug was woven from the donated clothes by Haeg and volunteers. The large colorful circular rug invites you to climb on to it (provided you remove your shoes), walk around on it and lay on it.

Detail of "The Dye Lab"