6/11: THOUGHTS UNSAID THEN FORGOTTEN // a series of public events organized by BRANDON ALVENDIA
THOUGHTS UNSAID THEN FORGOTTEN
a series of public events organized by BRANDON ALVENDIA
June 11-12
Saturday, June 11, noon-midnight
Sunday, June 12, noon-4
Mess Hall
6932 N Glenwood Ave
The latest iteration in Brandon Alvendia’s investigation of economies, communities, use value, and pedagogy is THOUGHTS UNSAID THEN FORGOTTEN, a collection of several public events presented in succession. The day-long affair is a meditation on and experiment with the act of conversation as a medium, raw material and object of creative production. An abstract, fragmented portrait of a fleeting community, it slowly reveals a classic tragicomedy of struggle and imminent failure of utopic ideals leavened by human-scaled communal experiences, embracing the life process as the reward.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
SATURDAY
Noon-4pm – Stage 1 – Small group critique sessions
“If it doesn’t work make it BIGGER.
If it still doesn’t work make it RED.
If it still doesn’t work make it POLITICAL”
This section of the day is set up to provide a venue for ACRE residents to present their work for feedback to a larger audience in preparation for their time at the residency. This session is offered primarily to recently-accepted incoming residents, but is open to the former and returning residents as well as larger art community. A group of art professionals of all levels from ACRE and other institutions will be invited to form the critique panel. Artists can bring artworks or images (or merely ideas) to discuss in a friendly yet critical format. A stenographer will be on hand to document the process.
4-8pm – Stage 2 – Impromptu group exhibition and fundraising event
“Saturday Salad Stipend” This section of the day will be set up to support incoming residents with an opportunity to exhibit their work and compete for a modest grant to celebrate their acceptance into the residency. Playing off the popular InCUBATE Sunday Soup model, “Saturday Salad Stipend” is intended to provide one resident with funding to support their time at the residency later in the summer (for gas, supplies, cigarettes, etc.) Artists that participated in the critique will be invited to hang their work as well as any other interested ACRE residents.
8pm-12am – Stage 3 – Large group discussion
“Talk is the object is the subject of conversation” or “The Foot Therapy EP”
This section of the event will consist of an informal discussion following Gregg Bordowitz and Stephanie Brooks’ reading at ICEBERG projects at 6:30. The beginning of the last four-hour stretch will be a more or less formal conversation on the curating and reading/lecture.
SUNDAY
Noon – Skill Share Session
“No Sleep ‘til ________”
Brandon will be lecturing and directing a skill share on the politics and realities of sleep in history and the future. A survey of sleep artworks will be presented as well as Sleep Hacking strategies to provide visitors with resources to get the most out of their days and nights. *ALL THE INFORMATION PRESENTED WILL BE AT-YOUR-OWN RISK
BRANDON ALVENDIA is an artist and founder of a variety of experimental curatorial initiatives. He is the director of The Storefront neighborhood cultural center, the Silver Galleon Press independent publishing project and co-director of alternative art spaces artLedge (2004-2007) and BEN RUSSELL (2009-2011). His work supports the efforts of local and internationally based artists and producers by creating platforms for experimentation, discussion and collaboration. A graduate of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (BFA ’03) and University of Illinois at Chicago (MFA ’07). Brandon Alvendia has recently exhibited in North America, Europe and recently in Sharjah, UAE. He was also the recipient of a 2010 Propellor Fund Grant from The Andy Warhol Foundation administered by Gallery 400 and ThreeWalls, Chicago.
More information about Brandon Alvendia can be found at www.alvendia.net