From Motion to Stillness
Photograph by Geraldine Rodriguez, one of the participating artists of “From Motion to Stillness,” at Zhou B. Art Center.
Photo courtesy of Sergio Gomez
Photo courtesy of Sergio Gomez
A new exhibit at Zhou B. Art Center is challenging viewers to slow down and reflect on the world around them
When director of exhibitions at Zhou B. Art Center Sergio Gomez and PoetsArtists magazine director Didi Menendez teamed up to curate an exhibit at Zhou B. they thought of how fast-paced American culture has become.
“We want everything done quickly, we rush to get things done and we hardly stop to think of anything else but the things we have to do,” Gomez said.
So they decided to do the opposite and conceptualize a group show around the idea of slowing down and reflecting.
Together, they reached out to artists across the country—photographers, painters and even poets, and asked them to translate ideas of tranquility, meditation and inner-peace to their line of work.
The result is a multi-platform group show called “From Motion to Stillness,” an exhibition that features the work of 34 artists and 10 poets.
But this isn’t a typical exhibition. While the pieces are shown along the walls of Zhou B., they are also featured in Menendez’s PoetsArtists magazine, both as a digital and print publication.
“It’s a mixture of visual arts and text,” Gomez said. “If people can’t make it to the exhibition they can go online and check out the exhibit. And for people who go to the exhibition and want to see more of the work of the artists, the digital edition will provide that.”
That’s because the digital edition includes artist interviews, description of the works and videos of artists in their studio, allowing exhibit goers to further ponder and reflect on Gomez’s and Menendez’s concept.
“We are inviting the viewer to take the time to explore what these artists are presenting; spend some time exploring the work, observing the work,” Gomez said.
One of the included works is a photograph by Chicago-based artist Geraldine Rodriguez. The photograph depicts a pale-faced, white haired woman with her eyes closed. She is motionless and seems at peace with herself.
This is the idea Gomez and Menendez want viewers to see. They want them to think of other things besides work and responsibilities, and gear them to the notion that inner-peace, stillness and reflection are important too.
“All the works deal with this idea in some form or the other, and it’s interesting to see how each artists interprets it,” said Gomez.
“From Motion to Stillness” will run at Zhou B. Art Center, 1029 W. 35th St, from Feb. 15 to March 10.