Snow Globe
@ Johalla Projects
1561 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
Opening Saturday, December 19th, from 7PM - 10PM
On view through Sunday, December 27th
Johalla Projects, along with guest curator Christopher Starbody, presents Snow Globe, a group exhibition exploring the thematic subject of the snow globe. Thought to be invented in France during the early 19th century, snow globes have long held a place in our collective psyche as tschotches symbolizing happiness and blissful innocence. Simply put, they are plastic (or glass) orbs containing miniature sculptures and a concoction of water, glycerin, and particles. They are the product of the Modern era, a whimsical, useless, and often cheap object made for the consumption of our entertainment. Snow globes have since become an American fixture, sold at tourist traps, displayed on the shelves of children, and stockpiled by avid collectors.
The snow globe has seen its popularity remain in our contemporary consciousness due to its ability to delight us with dream-like visuals that tap into our memories. Like the Romantics who invented this agreeable souvenir, we too desire a window into the quixotic and the surreal. Featuring sculpture, photography, and film, Snow Globe is a transformation of our gallery space into exactly what it sounds like – a white, wintry realm. Videos by Sonia Levy and Momoko Seto mediate on foreign ice worlds, while an installation by Johalla Projects in collaboration with Chad Haldeman, Justus Roe, and Phil Schuster set to an audio track by Nick Spiese offers another interpretation on the frigid and frozen landscape. Photographers Aron Gent and Steven Karl Metzer use their cameras to capture the season in a manner that recalls a particular time and place; the traces of winters’ past recognized within their images harkens back to the very device that has inspired our exhibition. Snow Globe offers a new way to experience this kitschy and nostalgic item; Johalla Projects invites you to consider our reflections on the snow globe and place yourself within a winter terrain fashioned by a diverse group of multi-media artists.
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