view from inside

the projection as seen from inside the gallery. I think this image is crucial to better-understand the works context: the building across the way is a Presbyterian church which serves the abundant local Korean Christian population. the ramp to their main entrance can be seen, near the middle between the N and O. the right side of the building as seen in the image, or the south side of its facility, rests on 37th Avenue; on this road an excerpt from Lamentations 1:12 reads in large fiberglass letters: Is it nothing to you all who pass by? This phrase has been talked about numerous times at kitchen table discussions at Flux Factory; these discussions were in a way part-inspiration for this work. There is now a discussion emerging between our facility and theirs: ours, a not-for-profit arts space, barely scraping by financially, built and sustained by blood and sweat and sometimes tears; theirs, a monolithic religious site of worship, financially well-off with 24-hour security guard watch and parking lots, including their own multi-van shuttle service during congregations, also their structure includes a full-size basketball court and daycare, among other facilities.

Both spaces are about a type of belief: theirs, a religion, established and historically built upon; ours, an arts program with contemporary goals. Both are about people: theirs a gathering of thousands, with a specific hierarchy and internal government, with jobs and a sustained dialogue with their contingent; ours a motley crew of seventeen, with additional numbers from our associates, a government more for superficials-sake but which is always an issue to contend with, where ‘chores’ are more important than ‘jobs’.

time lapse scrolling

a time-lapse shot of the scrolling, showing how the text moves across the window panes, and the spacing of the LED ‘bulbs’.

this shows how one column of LEDs fall on each window frame, which wasn’t planned or even noticed really, but works quite well, since from outside your eye quickly adjust to this fact and dismisses it; it’s not as if you see less of the text. the shadow cast from the nearby rope is also un-noticeable from street-level, and additionally is quite nice that inside the gallery the projection manages to touch another of the artworks on display – it is both uninterupted and conversing.

street level projection

another – and hopefully final – image of the work, from street level, with the gallery lights off, showing a passing car and the facility’s entrance and sidewalk. the work floats in the darkness, constantly scrolling a succinct but inviting text; i would hope readers of the text may wonder about where is the text coming from, what type of activities go on in such a place? from there they may decide to enter our gallery, and see the exhibit. Or best they may just wonder about what in their lives is now necessary, and how to proceed.