Year: 2014

Gone in a Flash

Published by Chase Martin

During his recent residency at Or Gallery Berlin, Chicago-based artist Troy Briggs completed a new piece titled shutter shudder ep. 1, constructed from a retrofitted light bulb wirelessly connected to this website: http://dotdash.x1024.net/ When a user types a message into a text field online, that message is transmitted to the bulb in Berlin, where it flickers in Morse code. This text flashes only once and is not archived in any way. The bulb’s exact location isn’t disclosed, but it has been installed in a space accessible to the Berlin public: a flickering lamp in an alley, or maybe a pulsing light in a disco. I spoke with Troy about the transitory nature of his work, especially in regards to the way shutter shudder ep. 1 engages with the Internet. In an age when we know that every facet of our digital lives is susceptible to government surveillance and is constantly being mined by companies for marketing insights, Briggs’ project creates a safe place for secrets, incorporating them into an artwork that is whimsically beautiful and …

Weekly Picks: March 31 – April 6

Published by Sixty Inches From Center

  While a new Sixty Inches from Center is in the making, please enjoy our weekly calendar, a list of visual art related events happening in Chicago. Events are chosen based on the information that is put in front of us. If you would like to take advantage of having your event listed on our website please send a press release to reuben.westmaas@sixtyinchesfromcenter.org Monday || March 31 Do Not Submit: A Storytelling Open Mic 7:30 to 10 p.m.; sign-up starts at 7 p.m. Powell’s Bookstore 2850 N Lincoln Ave Chicago, IL 60657 Free If you have been wanting to dip a toe into storytelling without facing a sold-out Moth Slam audience, this is the place to experiment.  If you are an experienced writer/performer looking to hone your live lit skills, this is the place to put the work in.  Not interested in telling?  Come experience the process, and see how the polished stories on stage tomorrow are being shaped, tested and reworked today. Tuesday || April 1 Two Cookie Minimum Reading Series Celebrates Chicago’s Polish Writers 9 …

Weekly Picks March 17-23

Published by Sixty Inches From Center

While a new Sixty Inches from Center is in the making, please enjoy our weekly calendar, a list of visual art related events happening in Chicago. Events are chosen based on the information that is put in front of us. If you would like to take advantage of having your event listed on our website please send a press release to reuben.westmaas@sixtyinchesfromcenter.org   MONDAY || March 17 Acquiescings + Hauntings at Poonie’s Cabaret 7:30pm – 9:00pm Links Hall 3111 N Western Ave Chicago, IL 60618 $5 A coalition of dancers, musicians, and visual artists join Poonie’s Cabaret for a thoughtful exploration of loss and mourning. Loss isn’t just an absence–it’s a burden, something those left behind carry with them. And it it doesn’t have to be the loss of a person. When something deeply cherished disappears, it creates a negative space to be navigated. It’s that negative space that inspires this performance, which stars such performers as Mister Junior, a fixture of the city’s boylesque scene, and hip hop artist Terri “Lyric” Green, who won the 2013 Unsigned Only …