2024.11.08 Lost in Transition X Mischief: Trimmings and Trappings

This set of exhibitions purposefully subverts conventionality surrounding familiar objects and spaces, transforming them into catalysts for reimagining their traditional functions and meanings. LOST IN TRANSITION reimagines the gallery as a continually evolving, constructed scene of domesticity that blurs boundaries between time and function through its ongoing concealment. MISCHIEF: TRIMMINGS AND TRAPPINGS disrupts expectations of the space through alterations that unsettle both our perception of time and the certainty of memory

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LOST IN TRANSITION

Alex Yang 

Jackie Chen

Sihan Zhao

“Lost in Transition” envisions Kirkland Gallery as a domestic scene of furniture objects tarped with translucent plastic. The layers of fabric covering the objects transform the scene into a moment of suspension between past and future, allowing the landscape to oscillate between feelings of nostalgia and anticipation by recalling scenes of moving in, moving out, etc.

 “Covering” domestic possessions functions in three ways: concealment, protection, and homogenization. The concealment of the objects blurs the identity of the object and inhibits their intentioned function of use, potentially condemning the possession to fall into obsolescence over time. Countering conditions of neglect, the covering of the objects simultaneously implies a degree of preciousness, which warrants efforts to protect them in the first place. The overlay of plastic across the objects further creates a boundary that homogenizes the field where the form and operability of the objects can resist.

In this evolving exhibition, all furniture begins uncovered, inviting participants to engage with the space as visiting domestic space, freely rearranging elements like chairs and desks to suit their needs. At the end of the exhibition, all the furniture—once “frozen” beneath the covers—will reawaken, symbolizing the interplay between memory, presence, and the dynamic nature of domesticity. Together, these elements provoke reflection on the complexities of home and belonging in an ever-shifting landscape.

MISCHIEF: TRIMMINGS AND TRAPPINGS

Ann Tanaka

Genesis Solano

Sierra Chiao

Yupeng Gao 

When entering the Kirkland Gallery, one expects to see a bay window to the west, a fireplace to the east, and crown molding wrapping all openings.

Through slight deviations that defamiliarize an otherwise familiar space, this exhibition calls attention to the learned associations we have with the Kirkland interior. The insertion of additional layers of ready-made molding around the door, extraneous wall switches, a wooden stud, and trapdoor, all feel as if they always belonged to the space, and yet are subtly disorienting. This invites us to explore the moments of ready-made shapes and fill-ins that permeate time and mildly confuse the familiar. It encourages us to question how subtle alterations can shift our perception of space.