Feb 18
(courtesy of antena)
. His limbs are splayed out and his skin is peeled off. The apparatus that killed Geoffrey is constructed from simple materials: a plastic bag, an air mattress pump, hair, epoxy, and packaging tape. The bag is appended to the twisted form of the animal and can be inflated from underneath in a novel method of torture that only uses household materials. A table, strewn with makeshift construction materials—Styrofoam cups, a plastic fan, clothespins—faces a wall filled with sketches for various other devices. The macabre scene is part of “Inland Architect,” the new installation piece by artist Chris Smith at Pilsen’s antena gallery.
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Jan 22
(courtesy of antena)
: juxtaposing cheat codes with relationships and comparing players to the viewers of the exhibit. The new video art installation at antena gallery uses this opening statement more as a caution than a credo. This short, playful definition sets the tone for a show whose connection to video games and digital culture is far from obvious, but whose overall meaning is derived from references and influences that are as contemporary and relevant as electronic media themselves.
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Oct 21
Still from a film to be shown at Death by Design Co. (Courtesy of Edra Soto)
. Past shows have included an “Orgy of Mutant Toys” and an electric chair; a current show features a fake Facebook account purportedly set up for Pilsen alderman Danny Solis—complete with risqué status updates. For Halloween, antena will be hosting a special living-dead show entitled “Zombie: A Mindless Affair.”
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Feb 26
One of Nick Black's Mutant Toys; courtesy of antena gallery
Sounds of running motors and clicking machinery came from an array of colorful objects placed sporadically throughout the room, creating a mechanical harmony. Viewers engaged with their surroundings, pulling knobs and tinkering with little objects: experiencing the artwork required participation. But the wholesome aspect of this first impression was disrupted upon surveying the small, high-ceilinged space more closely. The contraptions lining the walls revealed themselves not as charming teddy bears and dolls, but instead as mildly perverted reconstructions of old children’s toys. Artist Nick Black had dismantled the playthings, rearranged parts, and reassembled them into an “Orgy of Mutant Toys.”
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Nov 20
No one is a stranger to daydreams of turning back the clock. Thoughts of time travel act as a fantastical conduit for our feelings of regret, perceptions of chances bygone and speculations on the consequences of our actions. Theories of time-space continuum manipulation abound in the world of physics. Notable literary figures have successfully deployed time travel as a thematic device to secure it a prominent place in the minds of imaginative readers. But, though the act of time travel itself does not suffer from thinkers’ neglect, no veritable time traveler has yet to make himself known to the world. Read the rest of this entry »
Oct 02
Four decades ago, the Podmajersky family’s eponymous real estate company founded the Chicago Arts District in East Pilsen. Centered on the strip of Halsted between 18th Street and Cermak Road, the Chicago Arts District has experienced tremendous success and routinely draws large, lively crowds for its Second Friday gallery crawls. Last weekend’s 38th Annual Pilsen East Artists Open House was essentially a larger version of these gallery crawls, with the addition of a curated show arranged by Podmajersky. These cheek-to-cheek galleries, together with institutions like EP Theater and Kristoffer’s Café, have cemented East Pilsen’s reputation as an artist’s haven.
Later this month, on October 18-19, there will be another gallery tour in Pilsen: Pilsen Open Studios. But this one will not be Podmajersky-supported. This art walk roughly spans an area known as West Pilsen, running from May Street to Western Avenue, from 16th Street to 24th Street. Read the rest of this entry »
May 15
You haven’t felt the meaning of stimulus overload until you’ve felt it in the hands of artist Noelle Mason. Immediately upon walking into the one-room antena gallery, a barrage of slaps, gasps, and giggles welcomes the newcomer. You progress through the physically interactive show, weaving across cables, tiptoeing over broken bits of a chandelier that lies crashed in the center of the gallery’s floor, and bending over to view certain pieces properly. While standing near the two walls where about half the pieces are located, you can’t even step backwards without bumping into “Li’l Sparky”—an electric chair. Read the rest of this entry »
