Culture is an Initiation Ritual
@ Lot49
2201 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60612
Opening Saturday, October 19th, from 6PM - 12AM
Soft Systems and Open Secret are delighted to announce Culture is an Initiation Ritual — a group exhibition and film screening featuring video, painting, sculpture, and installation.
Culture is an Initiation Ritual presents culture as a process of transformation, for both those deeply embedded in internet history and those encountering it for the first time. The exhibition fosters a space where language, technology, and the unknown blend into an evolving system of shared interaction. Drawing from Bataille’s concept that “the richest knowledge… is to honestly recognize that we know nothing and to talk about the unknown,” the exhibition encourages audiences to embrace uncertainty and engage with the unfamiliar as a collective experience.
The works on display are dynamic, continuously evolving extensions of each artist’s practice. Recognizable internet motifs and memes are woven throughout the show, becoming part of our collective cultural memory.
In this exhibition, culture is positioned as an initiation—an ongoing ritual of discovery and exchange, one that mirrors the complexities and uncertainties of our digital age.
— Written by Dana Dawud, edited by M. Martinez
Participating Artists
Dana Dawud, Redactedcut, KIRAC, Sulaiman Majali, Poorspigga, Ali Reza, Elsie Lappoh, Carmen Llin, Xafya Lovecraft, Marble Index, Onty, John-Robin Bold, Machine Yearning, Nina Maia, Casey VanDyke, Linn Phyllis Seeger, Anne-Joelle Tan, Anabelle Lee Dehm, Lorenzo Osterheim
Event Details
Date: Saturday, October 19th 2024
Time: Opens at 6 PM; Film screening from 8 PM to midnight
Location: Lot49, 2201 W Huron, Chicago, IL 60612
Soft Systems: Soft Systems is a decentralized gallery that hosts curated art salons and exhibitions in Chicago. The gallery explores the intersections between different forms of media and artistic practices, presenting a diverse range of work from visual and performance artists.
Web: www.softsystems.site
Open Secret: Open Secret is a touring offsite event showcasing time-based works that use new media and emerging technologies rooted in online culture. Open Secret has traveled to venues across Sweden, Hungary, Mexico, Austria, and the United States.
Web: www.instagram.com/_opensecrett_
Lot49: Lot49 is an artist-run DIY music and art space in Chicago’s Ukrainian Village neighborhood dedicated to fostering a creative and inclusive environment.
Web: www.instagram.com/lot49.chi
For more information, please contact M. Martinez at info@softsystems.site
Official Website
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Tags: Ali Reza, Anabelle Lee Dehm, Anne-Joelle Tan, Carmen Llin, Casey VanDyke, Culture is an Initiation Ritual, Dana Dawud, Elsie Lappoh, John-Robin Bold, KIRAC, Linn Phyllis Seeger, Lorenzo Osterheim, Lot49, M. Martinez, Machine Yearning, Marble Index, Nina Maia, Onty, Poorspigga, Redactedcut, Soft Systems, Sulaiman Majali, West Town, Xafya Lovecraft
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