Press Release/ Curatorial Statement

“Future Worlds, Imagined Environments: Arting the Cosmos”

Opening March 11, 2023,6-9PM

“Future Worlds, Imagined Environments: Arting the Cosmos”

Opening March 11, 2023, 6-9PM

Gallery 201 is pleased to announce the opening of our first official exhibition “Future Worlds,

Imagined Environments: Arting the Cosmos. The presenting artists in this group exhibition are

Cyprian Kochman, Buttered Roll, Neil Anthony Edwards, Frank Ippolito and Rita Jimenez. Their work a brings a

unique take on our imagined future.

Dramatic change is occurring more quickly than in the past, exposing that the future is arriving

more frequently than an equal time frame of the past. Technology has a dynamic impact on the

highly developed world and an increasing one on the developing one. Silicon microchips are

accelerating in speed while shrinking in size, adding to computing power and processing rate.

The worlds relationship with the Cosmos has long been central to the scientific community and

is now becoming more relevant to many earth dwellers for its spirituality, inspiration and a

subject for artists to explore, as our understanding of its origins are revealed.

In 1913 the “Exhibition of Modern Art” took place in NY City at the Armory on Lexington Ave &

25 th St. It is arguably the most impactful exhibit in history and sparked the origin of Modernism

in America. Two-thirds of the paintings were by Americans, yet it was Europeans who created

the stir, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cezanne, Picasso, Matisse and Duchamp. It was the first time that

the phrase avant-garde was used to describe painting and sculpture. This period was a time of

new advancement in machines. electricity, automobiles and aviation, plus Einstein was working

on his “theory of relativity”. The artist’s response to this new technology was new styles of art

that included Cubism, Dadaism, Constructivism & Futurism. The two most talked about

artworks were “Blue Nude” by Matisse & Duchamp’s “Nude Descending a Staircase”. Art

historians believe that this exhibit and society’s advancing industrialization created a

“revolution”. The show attracted 87,000 visitors, moving on to Chicago where a woman art

critic Harriet Monroe wrote “these artists represent a search for new beauty and a longing for

new versions of truth observed.” Ms. Monroe (and all women) did not gain the right to vote

until 7 years later in 1920.

During our present time the advances of AI, AR and VR are prime ingredients of the

acceleration of technology while forming new worlds and environments into our lives. Though

digital art is widely created and distributed there have been no new art genres established that

rival those during the era of “The Armory” exhibit. A combination of AR & VR creates MR or

mixed reality. Other advancements occurring in education, communication, architecture,

entertainment, medicine & healthcare, aided by Robotics, Big Data and Analytics also hyper

charge many large corporations, while 3D printing, and AR have been widely used in artistic

expression. Will these effects be so deleterious that our social fabric will be diminished or

destroyed? No one knows with any certainty what the future holds. Is it calm or chaos, utopian

dreams or dystopian dread, a democracy, technocracy, anarchy or war? Will we face

abandonment of the only planet we’ve known due to environmental devastation, or will

invaders from other galaxies destroy our civilization? There are many visionaries and innovators

in all sectors of world economy, though no widespread agreement exists among them

regarding what conditions will be imposed on future generations. So, it’s only left to chance to understand what kind of planet will be created by the implementation of these advancements.

These forward gazing artists will present their take on the exhibition’s theme. Their art reflects many points and will imply meaningful questions about our future, supply concrete possibilities for our existence, or envision fantastical environments to amaze and inspire us.

**Tonight, we will also experience a unique 20-minute performance by the international sitarist

Shiv Shankar, classically trained in India, also adding improvisation to his music. Shiv created and curated this set specifically inspired by the theme of this exhibition. Shiv fuses the classical & contemporary,

combining electric sound with ambient music which will stir and maybe even transport you to a place you’ve never been. Perhaps, one located in a distant future world.

Bruce Soffer Curator Gallery 201

4511 New York Ave. Union City, NJ 07093

www.gallery201.com

info@Gallery201.com

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