Exhibition Opening
Oct 20, 5-9pm
Opening dates
Oct 21–30
Wed–Sun, 3–7pm
Nov 1–20
Thu–Sun, 3–7pm
“This sort of thing is going on all the time,” explains H2G2’s narrator, when ordinary Earthman, Arthur Dent‘s spoken words fall into a freak wormhole to another point in space-time, carrying them to a distant galaxy, along an elaborate chain of events, and leading to the ultimate destruction of two war-like, interstellar species. “It’s just life,” adds the commentator plainly. This same sentiment of acceptance is echoed in the radio-play’s titular galactic guidebook, where the words “Don’t Panic” are written in large, friendly letters on its cover. Taking its title from said survival strategy, the eponymous Creamcake-curated group exhibition—opening at soft power on October 20 and running to November 20—is its own appeal to stay calm and carry on in the face of seemingly insurmountable global issues and their unfathomable networks of cause and effect.
3hd 2022: “Life, the Universe, and Everything” invites six artists whose works respond to contemporary cosmologies, and present an expanded glance into notions of worldbuilding, through the spaces we inhabit, terrestrial limits, and outer bounds. Crossing sculpture, installation, video and an opening performance, the works in the “Don’t Panic” exhibition investigate technology, notions of reality, spirituality, and space colonization, as well as ecological complexity right here on Earth.
JAZSALYN presents AI-driven computational studies to re-indigenize algorithms and reimagine lost histories and technologies, while Lito Kattou’s sculptures of hybrid, extra-terrestrial figures are inscribed with dates of personal anniversaries, as well as natural disasters related to climate change occurring in the South Eastern Mediterranean region. Tianzhuo Chen expands on his experimentations with elements and symbols found in religion, ritual, and subcultures, refiguring his past performance work into a large-scale tarot-like LED video installation. Katja Novitskova presents new works from her Earthware series, suggesting a new kind of visual landscape art depicting life across the planetary planes, and George Henry Longly follows his practice’s explorations of terrestrial and bodily extremities, from space to the deep sea, with a mixed media work as a constellation or diagram. Finally, Sofia Moreno presents an installation drawing from her lived experience and personal mythologies to reflect on her Mexican cultural heritage—reclaiming and refashioning Mesoamerican mythology to highlight ancient views of the cosmos.
Flyer & title by Jon Lucas, featuring art by Nina Sarnelle in “collaboration” with AI & S.A Mayer’s main poster assets