I love the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati. The building is incredible (although I may be biased) and the exhibits are a great mix of well known important figures/movements in contemporary art, up and coming artists, and easily accessible and engaging installations. Although most outsiders might not strongly associate Cincinnati with the visual arts, Cincinnati has numerous museums, galleries and smaller arts organizations that are thriving. One thing I really enjoy about the Cincinnati art scene is that the museums and galleries do not take their audience for granted; these institutions are always generating innovative ways to engage and expand their art audience. Often times this results in really wonderful interactive and fun exhibits.
My mom and I saw just such an exhibit this past Wednesday. The exhibit is called ON! Handcrafted Digital Playgrounds and it runs through mid September. The exhibit is spread out over 2 floors and features about 15 different artists or artist collectives and the majority of the exhibition is hands-on and interactive. Some of the works in the exhibit stretch the definition of art (is a paper airplane art? what about a giant game of 'simon'? ping pong?), others invite you to participate by creating your own part of a whole (2 murals and an area for filming short videos) and others were more passive and altered the space but did not encourage participation (a flock of birds flying in a hall, viewfinders with an assortment of pictures, cells coming to life). While it might not be the most elevated 'arty' exhibit to visit the CAC, I think ON! fosters joy, creativity and sense of play.
Here are just a couple pictures we took while playing on the digital playground:
My mom and I saw just such an exhibit this past Wednesday. The exhibit is called ON! Handcrafted Digital Playgrounds and it runs through mid September. The exhibit is spread out over 2 floors and features about 15 different artists or artist collectives and the majority of the exhibition is hands-on and interactive. Some of the works in the exhibit stretch the definition of art (is a paper airplane art? what about a giant game of 'simon'? ping pong?), others invite you to participate by creating your own part of a whole (2 murals and an area for filming short videos) and others were more passive and altered the space but did not encourage participation (a flock of birds flying in a hall, viewfinders with an assortment of pictures, cells coming to life). While it might not be the most elevated 'arty' exhibit to visit the CAC, I think ON! fosters joy, creativity and sense of play.
Here are just a couple pictures we took while playing on the digital playground:
The other 2 exhibits on display currently are by two contemporary Indian artists- one named Hema Upadhyay and the other Atul Dodiya. Upadhyay uses recycled materials to create expansive floorscapes representing the sprawl of the slums in Mumbai while Dodiya uses (interactive!) rolling metal storefront shutters to create layered works with themes of poverty, urbanism, fine art, and culture. I enjoyed the contrast and layered approach to Dodiya (and also the skill and craftsmanship of the paintings themselves) and spent time contemplating the different levels of meaning while the Upadhyay work had a strong visual impact but the meaning was more straightforward.
If you are in Ohio, it's definitely worth a visit!
If you are not in Ohio, you can check it out online- click here.
Ellen and I had a GREAT time. I would highly recommend a visit to this exhibit. My favorite was probably the Hollywood/Plywood exhibit. Make sure you take your video recorder!
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