ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
As an immersive experience, the installation Outside Time presents dozens of porcelain objects that upon touch light up from within, exposing hidden lithophanes. Combining innovative technology with traditional techniques, the work examines the elusive and ephemeral nature of memory as both a personal and universal phenomenon.
The body of work was created by Stern during her year-long term as Visiting Artist at the Belger Crane Yard Studios and utilizes a porcelain lithophane technique on which she collaborated with Aya Margulis. The ceramic objects are set in bricolage of vintage furniture and juxtaposed with works in paper.
During her stay in Kansas City, Stern conducted community outreach to locate pre-WWII images from the personal albums of local Holocaust survivors and their family members. The images that inspired the lithophanes portray daily scenes from pre-war life in communities across Europe that were later annihilated.
Material culture functions as a medium in Stern’s work and amplifies the sociological and psychological values encapsulated in objects that are traditionally (dis)regarded as decorative art. The pre- and post-war furniture was carefully collected and echoes the ever changing context in which the porcelain objects exist. The use of technology provides an unfamiliar experience with the familiar objects advancing the potential of contemporary ceramics to offer an engaging experience.
By creating an immersive experience and allowing the viewers to touch the ceramic objects, the installation environment brings to life narratives and memories assigned to family heirlooms and explores the potential and limitations of porcelain and paper as repositories for fading memories.
In conjunction with the current refugee crisis, the work invites the viewers to reflect on how all immigrants and refugees, from all societies, leave behind rich memories of normalcy, culture and love.
CURRENTLY ON VIEW
The power of memory is immeasurable. Individual recollections are the building blocks of our sense of self, while collective memories help define our culture. In this exhibition, six artists use clay to explore formative moments in their lives as well as stories passed down through generations, inviting viewers to consider both the uniqueness of every individual and our shared identities.
Clay has been used to create functional and decorative objects for millennia. The artists in Shaping Memories continue the rich artistic tradition of clay, exploring its creative potential and versatility. A ceramic object can preserve information about the society in which it was made for thousands of years, a charge these artists take seriously in the creation of their work. What happens when people, cultures, and traditions are forgotten, and histories are erased? How can objects help us remember, honor, and share stories of our time?
FEATURED ARTISTS
Pattie Chalmers
Hollie Lyko
Jiha Moon
Rae Stern
Ehren Tool
Organized by the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art. Curated by Alison Byrne, Deputy Director, Exhibitions and Education.
SHAPING MEMORIES: EXPRESSIONS IN CLAY | VIRGINIA MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
November 27th, 2021 through March 6th, 2022
PAST INSTALLATION
Rae Stern: In Fugue features new, groundbreaking works in porcelain and paper. On view September 26, 2019 – February 8, 2020 at the Belger Crane Yard Studios, the exhibition focuses on the elusive and ephemeral nature of memory as both a personal and universal phenomenon. Through the manipulation of translucent attributes of porcelain and paper, and with innovative use of digital technology, the works pose questions about the relationship between object, memory, and time.
IN FUGUE | BELGER ARTS | EXHIBITION CATALOG
Flip through to view Rae Stern’s In Fugue: Outside Time at Belger Arts catalog.
NEWS AND MEDIA
More information to come
