Sentences

March 1, 2023 - April 30, 2023

Sentences is a captivating, hypnotic meditation on the poetics of space and language. In 2019 multidisciplinary artist Sara Magenheimer released Beige Pursuit, a collection of writings that included a poem titled Sentences—which Magenheimer then adapted into this work. The video is a look into the elasticity of architectural and social spaces, drawing on and reanimating text from the poem. Sentences appear on screen, slowly warping and swaying to the music. Magenheimer has manipulated the footage so that it never rests, but rather gradually changes color and shape, reminding us that balance is an illusion and that space, like language, is ever changing.

Expressions: Works on Paper by African American Artists

January 12, 2023 - April 16, 2023

Artists frequently draw on their own experiences to create unique works of art, incorporating personal themes such as identity and memory, as well as aspects of the universal human experience. Through styles that range from narrative and figurative to conceptual and abstract, the artists in this exhibition have explored these themes in various ways, and include names such as David Driskell, Karsten Creightney, Tyree Guyton, and Therman Statom.

Expressions presents a selection of works on paper by African American artists acquired by the Flint Institute of Arts over the last decade. Several of these artworks were created through traditional techniques such as drawing, woodcut, lithography, screen printing, and etching. While others have experimented with innovative materials and methods like vitreography and sculpturegraph. Despite their differences in method, all of these works can be seen as personal expressions of the artists who created them. 

Breaking the Mold: European Cast Glass

October 29, 2022 - April 2, 2023

The process of glass casting has a long, complex history. Although this technique dates back to ancient Egypt and Rome, contemporary artists continue to push its boundaries and create innovative artworks. Unlike blown glass that is manipulated by hand while hot, cast glass is formed by using a mold. Once the glass is cooled and removed from the mold, artists can further manipulate the surface using coldworking techniques like grinding and polishing. This exhibition will consider the impact of contemporary European glass artists on the history of cast glass.

In the early 20th century several glass manufacturers were making a name for themselves across Europe. They hired artists and designers to create items for production, which in turn, fueled the need for more trained professionals. Schools like Železný Brod Glassworks in the Czech Republic began training the next generation of artists who broke away from manufacturing to focus on glassmaking (including cast glass) as fine art. Because of this, multiple generations of European studio glass artists have adopted the technique and used it to create artwork that emphasizes aesthetics as well as cultural, political, and spiritual themes.