"Rhapsody"

There is a very large gallery on the second floor of the main building.  On this trip the whole gallery was used for an exhibition called "Rhapsody."  It is a really long gallery and the entire back wall, to the left in this photograph was entirely filled with a video presentation.  To the right of center behind that screen were tables with small examples of different artist's work.  Here is a funny story - see the two chairs to the left?  I couldn't figure out if they were part of the exhibit.  They were not remarkable in their construction at all, but I didn't want to take a chance.  I asked one of the employees about them, and he said they were for visitors to sit in!  So I did.  There was also a soundtrack playing.  I found that I really enjoyed sitting in one of the chairs and taking all of this in.  I just really enjoyed the space and the light and the sounds, and I must have sat there for quite a while, just drinking it in.

This is a "screen" that is the work of Rosendo Diaz.  It is made from carved pieces of wood and held together with wooden pegs.  I spent a lot of time examining how it was put together.  This piece is what gave the interesting shadows on the lower right hand corner of the overall photograph that was posted above.

This is a woven fabric piece, and the more I studied it, the more interesting it became.  It is almost a landscape, but created with different stitches and parts of it are quite subtle.  It is titled "I keep the laughter for your return" by Lucia Raineri and it was really worth spending time with it.  I first glanced at it and was going to keep going but something in it grabbed me and I stopped and gave it the time it deserved.

I love this little guy, on one of the first tables.  I am sad to say I was unable to figure out who the artist was.  The curators did a huge disservice to the artists by putting all the credits on large sheets of text, one at each end of the gallery.  So you would find an object you liked than walk to one end or the other then look at the map of the tables and then try and figure out which object they were referring to on which table and try and guess the artist.  Honestly that was a ridiculous way to credit the artists!  SO...  What was this gallery all about?  Here is some of the text for the exhibit:  "In 'Rhapsody', Jimena Sarno, who organized this exhibit, invites visitors, the community and collaborators to craft tools and relationships that can reshape the present and, ultimately, work to collectively repair the tears in the social fabric...  Sarno has gathered collaborators - mostly from the Global South - to contribute objects, soundscapes, and films that work toward visions for just futures."  Many of the objects in the exhibition are made using techniques associated with folk and craft traditions. including weaving, woodwork, felting and pottery."  So I hope this information might be helpful.