Press Conference
Exhibition info (written by Alysha Nelson)
Chaos and Hope: A Playground for Change is a presentation of selected works that interrogate the interplay between moments of disturbance and hope; positing play as a pivotal yet frequently marginalised construct that underpins the emotional resilience essential for sustained activism. This exhibit transmutes the gallery space into an arena of creative defiance, facilitating an embodied conversation via the convergence of still and live, performance and spectator, community and participation; a critical examination of play’s ontological role as a transformative agent – one that can catalyse profound social change and collective empowerment. *i-dont-have-an-art-history-phd translation:*Marginalised artists are TIRED of constantly being expected to centre suffering in their work, & of feeling like their pain is being commodified. Yes, struggle is real, but so is ݁ ⟡ ݁ joy ݁ ⟡ ݁ ., and this exhibit is a celebration of that. Joy and play are often overlooked, but they’re essential for keeping movements alive and sustainable. This exhibit is a protest, challenging the typical gallery experience by breaking down the barriers between artist x viewer, and the traditional white-box art world. It asks, who gets to decide what art is, and who art is actually for? By making space for play and joy (!!!), these artists are taking back control and reshaping the narrative.
Press Conference (2024)
Piece: Press Conference is a website that acts as a teleprompter in a quasi-fictional world. Hitting on themes of absurdism, sardonicism, play, and magical realism, sonic speculations invite the listener to be interrogated by ridiculous and not-so-ridiculous questions and respond with ridiculous and not-so-ridiculous responses.
Performance: The performance of Press Conference is a dramatization of the speculative fiction world created by the website. Hitting on themes of absurdism, sardonicism, play, and magical realism, the performer is interrogated by ridiculous and not-so-ridiculous questions and responds with ridiculous and not-so-ridiculous responses.
Performance Video
https://www.instagram.com/p/DChU5dtoTHb/
Web Installation
https://junekuhn.github.io/pressconference
Workshop Info:
An interactive workshop breaking down the obscurities of poetry into digestible parts. Using generative methods, handwritten, material, and computational, participants will use methods of play to explore word combinations, inventions, and unconventional forms.
