Kelly Kaczynski: Olympus Manger’, Scene II
@ Hyde Park Art Center
5020 S Cornell Ave, Chicago, IL 60615
Opening Saturday, April 26th, from 6PM - 8PM
On view through Sunday, July 6th
Olympus Manger’, Scene II was the latest artwork by Chicago artist Kelly Kaczynski. Two 16 foot tall skeletal wooden “mountains” elevated onto the ends of two separate stages invited audience members to ascend onto the stages and pull a rope that will gradually unite (and subsequetly destroy) the separate structures into one large mass.
Project sketch, 2008 ‘Olympus Manger’, Scene II extended Kaczynski’s ongoing interest in the juncture between art, architecture, theatre and landscape. It is the second installation in a continuing body of work. It incorporated forms made from basic construction material that mimic mineral deposits and geological debris, including boulders, crevices, valleys, and other land formations, which continue to shift throughout the duration of the exhibition as visitors simultaneously tug opposite ends of a rope causing the forms to change shape. As with much of Kaczynski’s previous work, the activation and physical participation of the audience is fundamental for the project’s realization. The structure had been designed specifically for the Art Center’s Gallery 1, utilizing its unique feature of five garage doors that open directly to the sidewalk and allow the public immediate entrance onto the stages of the sculpture, inviting further participation and chance experiences to occur.
About Kelly Kaczynski:
Kelly Kaczynski received an MFA from Bard College and a BA from Evergreen State College in Washington. Previous installations include Scenes from Olympus Manger, exhibited at the University of Buffalo Art Gallery (NY) in 2005 and air is air and thing is thing, shown at Triple Candie (NYC) in 2004. She has created public installations and sculptures for the Main Line Art Center in Haverford, Pa., the Institute for Contemporary Art in Boston, and the Boston National Historic Parks. Kaczynski is currently a faculty member in the Department of Art Theory and Practice at Northwestern University. ‘Olympus Manger’, Scene II is supported in part by a Research Grant from the University Research Grants Committee at Northwestern University, Podmajersky, Inc. and the Chicago Arts District, Stay Straight Manufacture, and the Hyde Park Art Center. Assistance to the project has been provided by Charles Sharp and David Wolf.
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Tags: Chicago, Hyde Park, Hyde Park Art Center, Kelly Kaczynski, Olympus Manger’ Scene II
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