The Future is Present

 

The Future is Present: Art and Global Change

The show has been in the works for a while now. It resonates with the Laumeier mission to look at the connection between art and nature. The Aronson Fine Arts Building opened again on Saturday February 6, 2021. It is an invitation to participate thoughtfully, and on a global scale, while embracing a kind of mindfulness.

Case in point: Leviathon, Elegy for Ice is an installation that includes sound and video collected from the Arctic Circle in the Svalbard fjords in Norway. Pete Froslie teaches art at the University of Oklahoma (Norman). He holds a BFA from the University of Nevada, Reno and an MFA from Massachusetts College of Art. His work here presents data collected from two expeditions to the Arctic Circle. You can hear ice cracking and see water swirling. It’s mesmerizing.

Showcased here are ten more artists that range in methodologies from sublime to meticulous. It calls for an open mind and multiple visits to this venue in the heart of Sunset Hills. Among the works are:Tightrope: (31) While Observing, 2018 by Elias Sime made of repurposed salvaged electronic components; A Rhizumatic Solar Cart by Hannah Chalew set on wheels adjacent to the park’s South Lawn with lights presumably powered by the sun’s energy via solar panel: and The Playhead of Dawn, 2018 by Jenny Kendler and Brian Kirkbridge captured sounds of birds singing.  

Take in this title card from inside to get a sense of artist Jake Chapman’s sense of whimsy and doom: (Free Willy) 2012 fiberglass plastic and mixed media sculpture. “When the world ends, there’ll be no more air. That’s why it’s important to pollute the air now. Before it’s too late. After the end of the world, also, all the technological advances which have been made in this century, which could at this very moment allow a leisure society for all but a few technicians, and a few women with wombs – so that there will, I mean there could, be no more social class – after the end of this world when humans are no more…

Clearly, this is an exhibition that features work that challenges on many levels as complex as issues around climate change itself. It is a remarkable exhibition worthy of dialogue even in an age of social distancing and mask muffled interfaces. The exhibition on view through May 9, 2021. 

From Laumeier Website:

THE FUTURE IS PRESENT: ART AND GLOBAL CHANGE

February 6–May 9, 2021 / Aronson Fine Arts Center

The Future is Present: Art and Global Change will examine the intersections between art and some of the world’s most pressing issues: climate change, environmental crisis and the related global repercussions. The exhibition explores the innovation of artists and their commitment to understanding humankind’s material impact on nature and technology’s role in understanding this global emergency.

The Future is Present will emphasis the urgency of topics ranging from deforestation and astronomical phenomena to tech waste. The artists assembled bring perspectives from across the planet, and they will use video, sound, virtual/augmented reality and upcycled materials to address this theme.

Exhibition artists:

Daniel Canogar (Los Angeles/Madrid)

Hannah Chalew (New Orleans)

Jake Chapman (London)

Pete Froslie (Norman, OK)

Jenny Kendler (Chicago)

Van McElwee (St. Louis)

Elias Sime (Addis Ababa)

Calum Stirling (Glasgow) and Daniel Fishkin (Charlottesville)

Marina Zurkow (New York)

According to Curator Dana Turkovic, the exhibition’s title is inspired by a quote from Bertrand Picard, a co-pilot of the first solar powered balloon to attempt to circle the world non-stop. Turkovic says, “Describing his experience, Picard explained ‘when landing, it was like going back to the past’ realizing his ability to push the boundary of existing knowledge in his field of study.”

She adds, “In the spirit of this ground-breaking exploration, the exhibition will examine the insights of artists, highlighting how the visual culture sector is not only reflecting our world back to us, but doing so through the lens of technology, taking charge on our environment and reminding us that our future is the present.”