“Nature and architecture are separated but joined in the person of the sculpture.” Penelope Curtis
Paper Pavilions is an exhibition curated by Sean M. Starowitz, on view 15 January - 5 February at FAR Center for Contemporary Arts in Bloomington, IN.
Artists include: Gnat Bowden, Carlson Garcia, Samuel Levi Jones, Rachel Kavathe, Claire Krueger, Maddie Miller, Armando Minjarez, Joann Quiñones, Andrea Stanislav
In the face of a global pandemic and a fervent call for the admission and dismantling of systemically racist systems, Paper Pavilions has commissioned nine participants to consider the future of our built and natural environment. Artists are responding to critical sites of architecture and landscape in the Indiana Uplands region in order to reinterpret the concept of modern sculpture pavilion.
The Midwest has found itself in the center of America’s confrontation with its own identity. Public spaces are more important now than ever, and as we consider the future of our plazas, nature preserves, and streets, we must consider the inherent and unjust historical fabrics behind these spaces and their current sociopolitical implications. This exhibition aims to elevate critical art dialogue and showcase new artistic approaches in these communities from the temporary and conceptual to the real.
In Penelope Curtis’s Patio and Pavilion: The Place of Sculpture in Modern Architecture, the pavilion places the viewer at the “threshold between interior and exterior.” As we near six months of (at times only self-imposed) quarantining, the use of public spaces have shifted and art experiences have changed. As Curtis writes: “The pavilion is still a place where we observe nature, but it has also become a place where we observe ourselves.” Now, the exhibition itself is tasked with interpreting how a gallery can function as a pavilion within itself, using non-traditional works and practices in sculpture, video, ceramic, and textile.
Further Reading by the curator and artists can be found in the exhibition catalogue, available Fall 2020 in print and online:
With a longstanding history of Mid-Century Modern Architecture, Columbus is poised to host the inaugural exhibition. Paper Pavilions will open both virtually and in person at the Columbus Area Arts Council’s 411 Gallery on October 1. This project is made possible with generous support from the Columbus Museum of Art & Design, City of Bloomington & Bloomington Entertainment & Art District, and the Indiana Arts Commission, as well as, a unique partnership with Sycamore Land Trust.
For more information on opening events and virtual tours, visit the exhibition schedule.
Photos: Chaz Mottinger