On any given day, residents of Detroit are traveling across their sprawling city to attend a lecture, see an exhibition, or participate in a writing workshop. Arts programs like these build on an already rich history of community in the arts. Artists and art lovers alike have their enthusiastic fingers on the collective pulse, one that hums through multiple organizations, DIY groups and project spaces across the city. There’s a shared understanding that the efforts of each respective group benefit the city as a whole, and will continue to do so in the future. Creating space for one another, as well as taking part in the dialogue of inclusiveness and accessibility, is at the cornerstone of the Detroit art scene. With the city constantly in-flux, people scuttling back and forth, developing new avenues of wealth as Detroit holds strong, questioning who art serves, who has access, and why this is so important to the growth and sustainability of a city. During a short, albeit jam-packed weekend trip, I met some impassioned individuals, all contributing to this vibrant community. Take a look at our recap below.
Lebohang Kganye and Zanele Muholi for Crossing Night: Regional Identites x Global Context @ MOCAD
Day one of our #detroitarts tour began at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, fondly known by locals as MOCAD, where we saw Crossing Night: Regional Identities x Global Context, a group exhibition exploring the work of Southern African artists as they grapple with the effects of post-colonialism and the resulting political, societal, and geographical structures that shape their culture and identity. Moving through the museum, infamous artist and photographer Richard Prince has filled the enormous space with his signature Instagram screenshots, and, according to the museum, “redefining concepts of authorship, ownership, and aura.” As we exited, we were prompted to pop next door to Robolights, an installation created by known Palm Springs recluse Kenny Irwin Jr. The artist collected refuse and found materials from all over Detroit to assemble this madcap winter wonderland and according to the museum, “Visitors are invited to wander along pathways inside of a dazzling carnival filled with sculptures of towering robots, dinosaurs, alien spacecraft, and fantastical creatures from the future, all painted in a wondrous array of vivid colors and wrapped up in thousands of lights.”
Moving right along, we ventured to the Eastern Market, where the Red Bull Arts residency space unveiled its group exhibition of work and performances from current artists-in-residence. DC artist Holly Bass whose practice mostly entails performative work that incorporates dance and movement to explore ideas of space and social practice, presented site-specific installations and short films of local dancers. During her time at the residency, Bass took part in a variety of dance classes and engaged with local folks to activate installations, performances, and talks. She describes her project as a love letter to Detroit and black women, asking visitors what it means to hold space and showing how intentional movement can effectively alter the energy of place and self.
Michael Polakowski and Holly Bass for Red Bull Arts (photos by Clare Gatto)
Alongside Bass, New York-based artist Hui Ying Tsai presents a series of sound sculptures, which are shaped like various seashells that, when touched, react to visitors in interesting soundscapes. Interactivity continues through a series of vessels that rest atop a spiral jetty, all holding water that also changes the soundscape of the room when activated by touch. Her explores symbolic storytelling through physical objects, from shells to pots, objects carry meaning throughout history, all the way back from the dawn of time. Tsai’s work opens a dialogue about our collective ancestral past and how we exist in harmony with nature.
In the final portion of the exhibition, Michael Polakoswki paints bright interior and exterior scenes, all teeming with narrative and traces of a figure who never quite appears. Crisply rendered and accented by a custom light display that alters the look and feel of each painting, Polakowski’s work blends surreal and illustrative motifs to explore the idea of “In-between” places.
Read more from the source: https://juxtapoz.com/news/travel-insider/art-in-detroit-our-weekend-recap/
