Tag Archive
Exploring Version Territory: The Co-Prosperity Sphere hosts Bridgeport’s annual art festival
“Every year we have the same intention. We want to widen the networks and nodes of various groups so we can grow a multiplicity of milieus in the art world,” explains Ed “Edmar” Marszewski. He’s talking about the Version Festival, an annual eleven-day arts festival that he founded and co-curates, which celebrates social and... »
What’s the Matter with Pilsen?: The Chicago Arts District falls on hard times as artists head south to Bridgeport
Bursting with art studios and galleries a few years ago, Pilsen’s stretch of South Halsted Street now features flyers advertising the potential of empty storefronts. Crowds continue to pack the street on the district’s monthly Second Friday event, but they find fewer open galleries and openings than in past months. A good portion of... »
The Art Community of the Future: Lumpen’s annual Select Media Festival returns for year eight
Independent arts collective Lumpen’s eighth annual Select Media Festival promises to offer four nights of video programming, group exhibitions, performance art, and live music that will shock, blast, and perhaps even use hypnosis to instill art appreciation back into anyone who’s been jaded by too many wine and cheese gallery openings. »
Make No Little Plans: Lumpen thinks big for its ninth annual Version arts festival
Henry Glover has rhythm from his head to his toes—literally. He lifts up his shoe to reveal a small electrical sensor that is wired to an audio jack in the sole. When the shoes are plugged into an output device, synthesized drum beats correspond to Glover’s tapping foot. Yet as Glover wanders through the... »
Infoporn, Eastern Expansion, and the new Bridgeport Art District: What Lumpen has in store for this year’s Select Media Festival
At first glance, a casual visitor might not expect Bridgeport to be an emerging hub for Chicago’s art scene: streets are stark, shops are scattered, and the wind chimes that dangle from residential houses break the silence. But lo and behold, on the southeast corner of 32nd and Morgan is the Co-Prosperity Sphere, one... »
Dark Matter: Lumpen’s annual Version festival comes back for year eight
Leave the pearls and Lily Pulitzer at home: Thursday evening, the Version festival begins at Country Club, a gallery in Wicker Park. According to the festival’s website, “Version is an annual springtime convergence that brings in hundreds of artists, musicians and educators from around the world to present some of the most challenging ideas... »
What Goes Up…
The Dayglo tones, the Spandex, the artists, the affected Williamsburg-party vibe: Lumpen’s “Return Flight” conclusion to this year’s space-themed Select Media Festival was a lot like the blast-off event a week previous. Beneath the cavernous ceiling, Lumpen impresario Ed Marszewski looked down on the crowd from his loft like the doyen of a mystical... »
The Final Countdown: Select Media Festival 6 gets ready for blast-off
It’s not normal to hear the words “don’t take any pictures until I turn on the blacklight” be taken seriously, but, seconds later, I was standing in front of a gigantic space station, lit up entirely by blacklight. Yes, strangely enough, hidden on the corner of 32nd and Morgan inside an old warehouse is... »
