No-Fi
@ Chicago Artists Coalition
217 N Carpenter St., Chicago, IL 60607
Opening Friday, October 24th, from 6PM - 9PM
On view through Thursday, November 13th
In “No-Fi” (No Fidelity) artists Lori Felker, Jesse Seay, and Sebura&Gartelmann (Jonas Sebura and Alex Gartelmann) investigate the spectrums of craft and technical proficiency while practicing restraint or employing alternative methods in their modes of production. The presented works possess a counterculture ethos with a healthy dose of punk and DIY aesthetics.
Felker frustrates herself and the viewer in a Sisyphean new multimedia work based on the 1980s television show “Win, Lose, or Draw.” This piece is shown alongside a series of eerily altered family photos from Felker’s childhood. These reconstructed construction paper assemblages stir feelings of nostalgic unrest and rouse consideration of domestic dynamics.
Seay has created a uniquely hybrid production model which defies use-value and rejects gender norms. She hacks knitting machines and uses them to create functional knitted circuits. By making her wearable e-textile (a.k.a. soft circuit) patterns open source, she hopes to build bridges between the largely female knitting community and the male-dominated field of electronics. This overlap seeks a dialogue between what is traditionally men’s versus women’s work. Seay will execute a large-scale installation that features a floating structure of delicately knit, sound-reactive circuitry.
In their collaboration, Sebura&Gartelmann challenge each other to approach unfamiliar making and building practices while still attempting high levels of material craftsmanship and equipment fluency. The resulting works speak conceptually to intimacy, struggle, persistence, and social constructs of masculinity. Their installation will feature a new video work, interacting portraits in the round, sculptures that reference vernacular architecture, and an opening night performance on wheels.
Intentionally disarming, the works featured in “No-Fi” exist in the limbo between youthful counterculture and reluctant adulthood. Sometimes humorous, often sad, these artists demonstrate that sincerity and anarchy are not mutually exclusive.
Curated by Erin Toale
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