Curatorial Statement
The works in Beyond Us reach out, pushing through difficulties and mysteries to discover what lies beyond. The works question what is “beyond us,” i.e. impossible to understand or accomplish. Challenging the unknown is embedded in their creative process, with many of the artists experimenting with new mediums and expanding their realities through both grounded research and fantastical worldbuilding. They confront boundaries: where light becomes shadow, limitations of bodies and minds, horizons. Some of the works utilize motion tracking, pulling us into their worlds to uncover their secrets; others tell stories through animation, taking us on reflective journeys.
RVEN NIGHT by Amely Gonell invites us to fly the night sky as a raven while the moon is high and freely poop on the civilians below, changing the trajectory of their life or letting them go about their day in a pixel simulation. Rivers Reflect the Stars by Anika Rios and Cindy Qiu travels beyond the atmosphere to a planet uncharted yet eerily familiar, wandering in the periphery of the known universe as a reminder that we are as much strangers to the larger universe as it is to us. Shortie by Allison Lai follows a small girl's adventure through a hostile, dreamlike world, highlighting the spirit of perseverance and interpersonal connection in overcoming obstacles that seem impossible. Ghost in the Machine by Dylan Shalmer explores the feeling of touching the fabric of time, engaging with a past that refuses to fade. What You Can't See by Shaima Rini illuminates the corners of a dark childhood bedroom, playing with our fear of what might be hiding just beyond the light.
As the works in Beyond Us muse at the edges of what we believe to be possible, they acknowledge the things we find could be beautiful and affirming, or odd and dangerous. Returning to the imagination of a child lying in bed staring into the limitless dark, we may drift off to dreams or nightmares. As long as we keep pushing forward, our universe has the potential to expand endlessly—but who knows what lies beyond us?
—The New Media Artspace Docent Team: Amely Gonell, Maya Hilbert, Cindy Qiu, Shaima Rini, Anika Rios, Dylan Shalmer
Beyond Us is a group exhibition curated by the New Media Artspace Docent Team: Amely Gonell, Maya Hilbert, Cindy Qiu, Shaima Rini, Anika Rios, and Dylan Shalmer. The exhibition was produced with support from Dennis Delgado, Assistant Professor in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts in the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences at Baruch College. The exhibition is made possible by support from the Baruch Computing and Technology Center (BCTC), the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences, and the Newman Library.