Make Things (Happen) Coming to Oakland, CA!

Make Things (Happen)
Interface Gallery
Oakland, CA

Over the past few months, I’ve been expanding Make Things (Happen) for its exhibition at Interface Gallery in Oakland! Now with 45 artist-created activity sheets, the project will include interactive work stations, offsite locations (pick up a postcard in the gallery for details), and public programming led by artists!

February 6–March 1
Interface Gallery
486 49th Street (in Temescal Alley, off Telegraph), Oakland, CA

Friday, February 6
6–9pm: Opening reception (Oakland First Fridays)
7pm: Probe the twin histories of astronomy and astrology with Lauren Marie Taylor. Make a star chart, create new constellations, then officially name and dedicate your very own star.

Saturday, February 7
1pm: Meal Ticket with Lexa Walsh brings together different individuals for a home-cooked meal and recipe exchange to facilitate conversation and community. The recipes are complied into a community cookbook, creating a unique group identity, while the meals propose a temporary utopia to encourage a hospitable democracy. ~~RSVP at interfaceartgallery@gmail.com~~—at capacity.

Gallery Hours: Wed–Sun, 11–4

Go out and find four sheets at our neighbors:
Book/Shop, 482D 49th St, Tue–Fri 12–6, Sat 10–6
Lanesplitter Pizza, 4799 Telegraph @ 48th St, daily 11am-12am
La Commune Bookstore at Omni Oakland Commons, Shattuck @ 48th St, Tue–Sun 12–6
Royal Nonesuch Gallery, 4231 Telegraph @ 43rd St, Sat–Sun 1–4

Artists: Lauren F. Adams, Oliver Braid, Maurice Carlin, Kevin B. Chen, Torreya Cummings, Helen de Main, double zero, Bean Gilsdorf, Galeria Rusz, Sarrita Hunn, Maria Hupfield, Ariana Jacob, Hannah Jickling & Helen Reed, Nick Lally, Justin Langlois, Justin Limoges, Jessica Longmore, Mail Order Brides/M.O.B., Kari Marboe & Erik Scollon, Betty Marín, Mark Anthony Martinez, Meta Local Collaborative, Melissa Miller, Roy Meuwissen, Laura Napier, Susan O’Malley, Dionis Ortiz, Kristina Paabus, Piero Passacantando, Julie Perini, Ryan Pierce, Pavel Romaniko, Risa Puno, Genevieve Quick, Mary Rothlisberger, Pallavi Sen, Elisabeth Smolarz, Tattfoo Tan, Lauren Marie Taylor, sharita towne, Emilio Vavarella, David Gregory Wallace, Lexa Walsh, Alex Wilde & Emily Chappell, Brian Zegeer, Lu Zhang

The results ran the gamut from celebratory, such as making commemorative plates of one’s own life, to darkly hilarious, such as the reproduction and delivery of an ominous note written by Stanley Kubrick to Tom Cruise. … While some of the artists’ instructables can be executed solo, Yap is a great fan of the Venn diagram: Overlapping with others is the real payoff.

—Silke Tudor “DIY Gallery,” SF Weekly (February 4, 2015).

#mkthngshppn

The Making of The Eve Of... Self-initiated Residency and Exhibition, a timeline flow chart after Alfred H. Barr, Jr.

Christine Wong Yap, The Making of The Eve Of… Self-initiated Residency and Exhibition, 2014. A timeline flow chart after Alfred H. Barr, Jr. [PDF]

Produced for the Open City/Art City panel, SOS ARTISTS: Strategies of Survival, curated and moderated by Christian L. Frock, and held at YBCA on October 4, 2014.

Meta-Practice, The Eve Of...

The Making of The Eve Of… Self-initiated Residency and Exhibition, a timeline flow chart

News, The Eve Of...

10/4: The Eve Of… as Survival Strategies at Open City/Art City

The making of The Eve Of…, in diagrammatic and GIF forms.

The Making of The Eve Of… Self-Initiated Residency and Exhibition.

Here’s a tiny teaser of a detailed diagram on the making of The Eve Of…; along with a narrated video, it’ll be presented this Saturday at Open City/Art City at YBCA. I’ll be there in spirit, but not in person. It’s too bad, as my other panelists, assembled by the formidable Christian L. Frock, are fantastic artists for whom I have tons of respect.

SOS ARTISTS: Strategies of Survival

Curated and Moderated by Christian L. Frock, Independent Writer, Curator and Educator
This interactive session will present strategies for developing self-made public opportunities for artists at all stages of development, with an emphasis on what is possible through autonomy and collaboration. In addition to the live event, documents relevant to the discussion will be available to freely view and share online at www.invisiblevenue.com

Participants:

Christian L. Frock, writer and curator, Invisible Venue: On creating public platforms through unconventional organizational partnerships

Jonn Herschend, artist and co-publisher, The Thing: On recent high profile commercial projects and creating equitable corporate collaborations with integrity

Ernest Jolly, artist and co-curator, ArtComplex, Oakland: On ArtComplex’s experimental exhibition model and creating opportunities within transitional real estate

Favianna Rodriguez, artist and activist, on producing multiples and direct studio sales to raise funds to advance larger projects

Stephanie Syjuco, artist and John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Visual Arts Fellow: On self-publishing her successful Guggenheim application, and transparency as a mode of working amidst competition

Christine Wong Yap, artist: On the development of her self-initiated New York residency and solo exhibition, and building new models of production in public spaces

More info at opencityartcity.tumblr.com.

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That’s the brains of the thing. Here’s the behind-the-scenes braun:

The Eve Of… installation and deinstallation.

The Eve Of...

Some questions in advance of The Eve Of… Public Forum on 9/24

Mirror #1, 2014, wood, asphalt-based coating, light, acrylic, mirror, 13.625 x 13.625 x 5.5 inches / 34.6 x 34.6 x 14 cm

How is art experience intellectualized, and how is it intuited?

How are art- and exhibition-making guided by research? By emotions?

What are the poetics of perception?

How do modes of embodiment—embodied cognition, phenomenology, and the materializing of ideas or emotions into art objects—present paradoxes? How do we embrace contradictions?

Who is the disappearing artist? Who is the ego-less agent?

What’s so wrong with sentiment?

Why is mortality a thing that must be “confronted”? Who does it attract? Why?

How do you practice tolerating uncertainty?

What space is left for introspection?

What is the agency of an artist? How do we shape the art worlds we’d like to participate in?

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On Wednesday, September 24, join a public forum featuring guest dialogist Andria Hickey, Public Art Fund Associate Curator, in conversation with artist Christine Wong Yap to discuss themes in and around The Eve Of…, a solo pop-up exhibition exploring “the disassembled self on the eve of re-organization.” You’re invited to participate in the dialogue with questions, comments, and provocations.

The Eve Of… Public Forum
Wednesday, September 24, 7–9 pm
Falchi Building, 31-00 47th Avenue, Long Island City, NY 11101 [Google Map]
7 to 33rd/Rawson Station; G/E to Court Square; N/Q/R to Queensboro/Queens Plaza
More info: theeveof.christinewongyap.com

Free and open to the public. Wheelchair accessible. Refreshments will be served.

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The Eve Of… is supported by an Individual Artists grant from the Queens Council on the Arts with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

News, The Eve Of...

The Eve Of… is now on view!

With yesterday’s opening reception, The Eve Of… residency is officially over, and the exhibition is open to the public.

BZ & NM viewing Doorway, 2014, wood, vinyl, asphalt-based coating, lights, stands, gels, door: 82.5 x 33.5 x 5.5 inches / 210 x 85 x 14 cm. See more photos.

The changeover

The raw space that was my studio in August has been converted into a pop-up gallery. Though I last posted that changeover tasks are fun, I started running of steam this past week. The works were done, the walls painted, and the floors epoxied or sealed, but I still lots to do. And much involved climbing a too-short 8-foot ladder in a 18-foot-high space….

I figured out which works to include and how to place it in the oddly-shaped space with help from OM, especially his sage advice not to fight the architecture. I paid repeat visits to Artist and Craftsman Supply (a cool employee-owned business recently opened in LIC) for paper and tape to minimize light coming through the numerous windows. I also lit the works after multiple trips to get extension cords and light bulbs (so easy to take for granted at galleries) since only half the the space has working electrical outlets. I finally used some lighting gels—purchased for experimentation that didn’t go anywhere—to balance out the color of different light sources. And I spent a late night putting finishing touches on the space, including creating a storage closet (its small footprint relative to the amount of artworks, tools, and furniture it holds is a weirdly satisfying bonus).

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Installation photos

I shot documentation photos with the assistance and good conversation of MH. I encourage you to visit the show in person, as many of the works allude to physical embodiment and are best experienced in person, but you can see photos if you’re unable to visit.

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A journey self-started, but not traveled alone

Thanks to intrepid supporters who braved yesterday’s rain to attend the opening reception. I also want to send a big THANK YOU to the Queens Council on the Arts, the Falchi Building, Whole Foods, and individuals who contributed guidance and assistance: Susan O’Malley, Mel Day, Katie Tuss, Paul Kelterborn, Falchi Building staff, Gina Mazzone, Melissa Smith, Melissa Rachleff/Bronx Museum of the Arts’ Artists in the Marketplace, David Wallace, Maria Hupfield, Nyeema Morgan, Ohad Meromi, Hank Willis Thomas, and Michael Yap.

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Now on view

The exhibition continues through 9/24.

Join me at a public forum featuring guest speaker Andria Hickey, Associate Curator, Public Art Fund
Wednesday, September 24, 7–9 pm

Or visit during gallery hours:
Wednesday, September 17, 12–3 pm
Saturday, September 20, 1–5 pm
Or by appointment by emailing theeveof @ christinewongyap.com.

Falchi Building, 31-00 47th Avenue, Long Island City, NY 11101 [Google Map]
Four blocks from the 7 train at 33rd/Rawson Station; also walkable from the E and G at Court Square, or the N, Q, or R at Queensboro/Queens Plaza.

The Eve Of...

The Eve Of: Residency Day 32 Update

After spending all August working on The Eve Of…, I’m finally feeling confident and relaxed.

The residency started off a little rough—I was antsy to secure a space yet stay productive. So I made a production schedule. It sounds a little crazy and antithetical to the creative process, and sometimes it was. But I think it was worth it. For example, when I moved into the larger space, I finished all my dust-making (woodworking and build-outs) first, painted the things that need to be painted at the same time, and then cleaned up for framing and finishing static-y vinyl projects.

Though, maybe crazy-making is part of the deal when you’re staging your own exhibition in a pop-up gallery. As stressful as keeping a schedule was, it’d be worse if I didn’t keep one. Case in point: I thought the dust on the concrete floor was drywall leftover from a prior demolition. But it turns out it’s the floor itself, or rather, mastic, which I had been pulverizing with every step. I have to seal the concrete, and find an additional three days of drying time, as I was already planning to paint half the floor where it was tiled in lavender-and-purple checkerboard.

Thankfully I was able to wrap up art-making and get a head start on gallery changeover. You could say I’m transitioning from artist-in-residence to preparator-in-residence. Some artists find being their own technical labor tedious or demeaning, but I can’t think of a happier use of these skills than in the service of my own vision.

Plus, it’s a nice change of pace. Painting is calming, because it’s finite. With studio projects, I never know when I’m going to be done. But with paint, you can only do so much per day—you couldn’t schedule more. Wrapping up today’s painting and heading home before 6pm was a nice treat.

I just finished the walls, and am relieved the color works. (Wet, it looked like ivory in the pan, grey on the walls, lavender in the daylight, putty-ish under fluorescents, and stripe-y and beady all over! But dried, it’s a nice, flat, smooth, soft. I love it.) I also primed the checked tiles. With the Willy Wonka tiles covered, the space feels cleaner, bigger, and more like a gallery already.

The Eve Of… Studio/Pop-up Gallery (Before)

The Eve Of… Studio/Pop-up Gallery (During: Today)

I’ve habituated to turning up at this studio everyday—and, I suppose, being a full-time artist in NYC, something I’d only previously imagined. I better enjoy it while it lasts, which is not much longer….

The Eve Of...

The Eve Of… NYC Residency pilot program

Surprisingly, I’ve achieved a residency’s studio focus and solitude… even in NYC.

I was nervous that staying at home in NYC would allow too many distractions for this to be as productive as an overnight residency. But many things have helped to shift my experience, and are pretty effective in combination.

Staying really local. I’ve been keeping it Queens—I’ve only left the borough twice in the past three weeks: home, studio, repeat.

Yet changing it up. The studio is in a part of LIC I’d never been to before. It’s been neat to eat lunch and people-watch in the public courtyard, and patronize different mom and pop stores. I’ve also been riding my bike instead of taking the subway; it makes me feel like I set the rhythm of my day.

It’s August. It helps that NYC’s emptied out; even my emails have quieted down.

Cleared calendar. My obligations have been postponed and my priorities are crystal clear. It’s great not having to deliberate about squeezing in anything else.

Creature comforts. Unlike at away-residencies, there’s no learning curve in the logistics of everyday life—sleeping, grooming, nourishment, etc. I sleep in my own bed, cook in my own kitchen, and don’t have to miss my husband.

Disconnecting: deactivating my FB account. It became a pleasureless addiction. I had some withdrawal the first two weeks, but it holds little appeal now. It’s shocking how habitual it became: how easily I’ll mindlessly point my browser there, mentally compose status updates that are ultimately trivial, or desire a crowd-sourced solution instead of trusting my own opinions and decisions. These days, I’m so busy and then so tired, there’s little room for anything else, and I can’t imagine how much time I squandered onscreen. I will probably return—but keep my usage restricted.

Enduring my own mind. I’ve spent at least eight hours of every day alone in the studio. I was rusty at the beginning, when my overactive, lazy-way-out squirrel-brain pulled me in too many directions. But now I’m a bit more adept, staying on task and pushing through when I’m tired.

I can tolerate a lot of solitude but it’s also making me feel a bit starved for socialization. I take this as a good sign, as I remember this feeling from other residencies I’ve done. I’m starting to have enough work to show others, so I’m looking forward to scheduling studio visits soon.

R+D

On Be(com)ing an Artist, Citizen and Arts Community member, by Christine Wong Yap

Category Archives: Projects

Make Things (Happen) Coming to Oakland, CA!

—Silke Tudor “DIY Gallery,” SF Weekly (February 4, 2015).

The Making of The Eve Of… Self-initiated Residency and Exhibition, a timeline flow chart

10/4: The Eve Of… as Survival Strategies at Open City/Art City

Some questions in advance of The Eve Of… Public Forum on 9/24

The Eve Of… is now on view!

The Eve Of: Residency Day 32 Update

The Eve Of… NYC Residency pilot program