un/mute at Austrian Cultural Forum New York, through January 7, 2022 & at Undercurrent through November 21, 2021
artssummary
“The Austrian Cultural Forum New York and Undercurrent unveil un/mute, an international group exhibition of collaborative works by 28 artists across multiple disciplines. On view at both locations, this multi-media exhibition is the culmination of an 18-month-long project that was launched in 2020 to provide European and NYC-based artists an opportunity for critical exchange and collaboration during the COVID-19 global pandemic.
What do communication and collaboration mean in a time of uncertainty and isolation? How is the artistic process impacted by going ‘fully remote’? In un/mute, artists from 10 countries were paired to explore these questions. We recognize that effective communication requires active engagement of all the senses and an openness to diversity, interpretation and digitalization. But what does that look like in practice? The project challenged teams to overcome the limitations of lockdowns as they connected across artistic mediums, language, culture, generations and time zones to find new forms of expression and meaning within art.
un/mute is the physical manifestation of online conversations among strangers who became collaborators. What began as abstract, ephemeral and digital are now 14 tactile, analog and concrete artworks presented across two locations. The artists confronted the parameters imposed by the lockdowns and each team found creative solutions that we might all learn from. The common thread that runs through the sculptures, installations, films, drawings, photographs and performances is the importance of language.” — Austrian Cultural Forum & Undercurrent
Austrian Cultural Forum New York
Mo Kong (NYC) + Olesja Katšanovskaja-Münd (Estonia). Backwards Transition, 2021. Rock and video. Runtime: 26 sec.Mariella Cassar-Cordina (Malta) + Nicola Ginzel (Austria). Sonos Civitatem MMXX, 2020. Video,frottage and sheet music. Runtime: 9 minutes, 44 seconds. Mariella Cassar-Cordina (Malta) + Nicola Ginzel (Austria). Sonos Civitatem MMXX (sheet music), 2020. Justyna Górowska (Poland) + Ieva Mediodia (Lithuania). ARKTIKAANTARKTIKA 0.9, 2021. Giclee on Hahnemuhle. Photo Rag paper 13.5 x 41 inches. Video Runtime: 3 minutes, 17 seconds. Justyna Górowska (Poland) + Ieva Mediodia (Lithuania). ARKTIKAANTARKTIKA 0.9 (detail), 2021.Ada Van Hoorebeke (Flanders) + Luisa Muhr (Austria). Stoff Stuk / Go-to Shapes, 2021.Gabrielė Gervickaitė (Lithuania) + Yi Hsuan Lai (NYC). Where are you at this moment? – Bounding touch. Where are you at this moment? – Joint. Where are you at this moment? – Dancing in the day and night. (left to right), 2021. Aluminum prints, 40 x 30 inches each. Gabrielė Gervickaitė (Lithuania) + Yi Hsuan Lai (NYC). A dialogue in the cloud, 2021, unique zine, 8.25 x 10.5 inches. Alex Mirutziu (Romania) + Sydney Shavers (NYC). Alex Mirutziu. Seven places I can’t go to but talk to, 2021. Plaster and fishing line. Dimensions variable. Sydney Shavers. Untitled (Sit) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 2021. Wood, paint and fasteners, 24 x 10 x 24 inches each. Alex Camilleri (Malta) + Terttu Uibopuu (Estonia). 76% Humidity, Chance of Rain, 2020. Film Runtime: 3 minutes, 12 seconds. Kris Grey (NYC) +Barbara Maria Neu (Austria). Miss(ing), 2021. video (runtime: 4 minutes, 8 seconds), performance (15 minutes) and sculptures. Eren Aksu (Germany) + Sheila Maldonado (NYC). STILL, 2021. Carousel with 62 slides and printed text (8.5 x 11 inches). Aaron Bezzina (Malta) + Kyle Hittmeier (NYC). Aaron Bezzina, Double Catapult, 2021. Wood, screws, stain varnish and rubber 102.4 x 62 x 40 inches Aaron Bezzina (Malta) + Kyle Hittmeier (NYC). Kyle Hittmeier, Andromeda, 2021. Single channel projection. Edition 1 of 3. Runtime: 1 minute, 50 seconds.
Undercurrent
Lan Thao Lam (NYC) + Sanne De Wilde (Flanders, Belgium). HERE/tHERE, 2021. Site-specific window installation. Full color adhesive vinyl, ACFNY, 101 x 60 inches, 101 x 22 inches.Anna Bera (Poland) + Saddie Choua (Flanders, Belgium). Close Up Black, 2020-21. Video, sound, and personal objects (plants, ornamental animals, book, drawing and photos). Runtime: 8 minutes. Emily Shanahan (NYC) + Marie Lukáčová (Czech Republic). Conversations between February and May, 2021. A collection of drawings and Risographs from each artist. Emily Shanahan, Grid drawing, 2021, collage, ink, and graphite on paper, 14″ x 11″ each. Marie Lukáčová, Snakes, 2021, 4 color Risograph, edition of 30 each with unique titles, 16.5″ x 11.4″ each. Emily Shanahan (NYC) + Marie Lukáčová (Czech Republic). Conversations between February and May (detail), 2021.
Exhibition was co-curated by Daina Mattis and Melinda Wang.
Images courtesy Austrian Cultural Forum New York & Undercurrent.
