Somewhere Felt

Press Opening: Thursday, March 6, 5-7 pm
Opening Reception: Friday, March 7, 6–9 pm
Closing Reception: Saturday, March 22, 4-6 pm
Artist Talks: Thursday, March 13, 7-10 pm

Space Other is proud to host the performance-based exhibition Somewhere Felt, featuring seven artists from the graduate program of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, and Tufts University in Boston: Chuck Chaney, Leighton Collier, Faith Johnson, Sean M. Johnson, Tara Hill, Vasia Markides and Richard Spartos.

In 2007, Space Other hosted the first group of SMFA graduate students to exhibit their work. Once again, Space Other would like to function as a platform for experimentation, production, and analysis of the works of art by seven M.F.A. candidates. By offering our space, curation, and critical analysis we worked together towards a group show, and as a final result of our collaboration, we are proud to present Somewhere Felt.

I want to do a piece where I go to the Alps and talk to a mountain. The mountain will talk of things which are necessary and always true, and I shall talk of things which are sometimes, accidentally true. Bas Jan Ader

This year’s graduate students are connected through their performance practices, presented in a variety of ways: from direct physical actions taking place during the exhibition towards projects where the performative element is under investigation through the use of other media such as video, photography, and the making of objects. The performance program of the SMFA has its base in visual art, and has its roots in art movements such as DADA and Fluxus. In this practice artists turn away from traditional narrative and theatrical plots, as for example becomes apparent in the work of the quoted artist Bas Jan Ader. Direct interaction with the audience is important, even when the action is mediated by a screen or another medium. Time and space are crucial elements in performance-based work. The students work in this tradition; but not so much to oppose the existing art system as artists tended to do in the early days. Rather, it is used here as a medium to pursue personal stories, and to engage the audience in their journey. Untangling family histories and the notion of home, revealing ‘dreams’ of society in connection with daily reality and the transformation of the physical are common threads in their work. The group seems to function as a small community, where critical (yet respectful) reflection towards each others work is essential. This is an important trait and shields against a world where the production of commodities and other goods is highly valued.

The artists in Somewhere Felt are grateful for the support of the faculty members of the SMFA graduate program, and of one in particular. They all took part in the advanced performance class of performance artist and Mobius, Inc. founder Marilyn Arsem. She very much inspired and encouraged the students to find their own voice and their own community by challenging their performative skills. Even though some of the artists eventually took up other media to tell their stories, these art works bare the traces of a performance practice. To give an insight in the performance world and teaching methods of Marilyn Arsem, an interview will be published as an accompanying text to the show.

Femke Lutgerink
Associate Curator of Space Other

press_somewherefelt_artiststexts.pdf
up-to-the-present-time-and-beyond_text-about-marilyn-arsem.pdf

Somewhere Felt was possible thanks to the support of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Tufts University, Boston.