A Space for Dwelling at Columbia College

 (Anna Katherine Peters, Memory Archive (detail), 2011 

     A fascinating thing is the tendency we have to form bonds with things outside of ourselves; nevertheless often is the case that our obsession with possessions displays itself to us. Even more fascinating is the power some have to transcend those personal feelings: the love, the comfort, the anxiety, the angst and the frustration of the strong bonds we form with the outside entities of people and objects (those things that create a home) -- to people unknown to them. As a frequenter of Columbia Colleges Congress building (located on Congress & Wabash in the South Loop of Chicago) I have stumbled through many showcases within the C33 gallery, yet never has an exhibition moved me as ‘Dwelling’ has. Despite some minor flaws (broken televisions, ouch) I suggest many and all to go out to this campus-based space and see where they dwell as an audience and within the Dwelling.

      ‘Dwelling’ the current exhibit showcased successfully achieves this aforementioned transcendence. Advantageous of the endless medium formats for which to display expression available, the fourteen students presenting their work in the space truly grab hold of the viewer upon entering. The dim lighting and –on face value- confusion of objects, video, photographs, text, and sculpture deliver the message that you have stumbled upon something that is compelling you to receive it, and receive it you will. As you move through each piece a sense of appreciation will dawn on you. From the irrational urge we are all stricken with to escape from the comfortable, to the anxiety blanketed fear of losing, to the awkwardness that comes from being so attached to something you can never truly understand – the emotions risen in all of us from dwelling are brought forth and projected throughout these pieces in this small gallery.  

     A great example of this is the work of Carrie Schneider. A series of flat screens measuring around twelve inches are placed in sequential order on the southern wall of the room. Within each of the five screens plays a short circling video clip.  In one a visual depiction of what seems to be a daughter and mother embracing one another on a couch, yet the daughter is overly latching to the mother, in an almost desperation, as the mother attempts to loosen the constraints. Another depicts a daughter in the shower as her father washes her hair. The discomfort of the ‘what is going on here’ quality is immediate. The walls of the shower are black and frigid, the daughter is above the age appropriate to have her hair washed by her father, and the stoic face of the girl as well as the anonymous body of the fathers arms leaves the feeling of coldness within the midst of, what would be, a very intimate act. These video depictions speak to a major theme gathered from the entire exhibit. The videos take an in depth perspective of the many feelings one may have, the desires to still be taken care of, although past a certain age when we are aware it is not socially acceptable.

     What to do with such feelings arisen from dwelling that remain after we have moved on becomes the question. Most often we repress them until an outlet is created to let those feelings out, that or we go see people who have already done so at the C33 gallery on the first floor of Columbia’s 33 E Congress building from September 5^th – October 19^th.  

 (Olga Chernysheva, Windows (still), 2007)

 (Stephanie Del Monte, Untitled, 2010)