Tonight marks the first installment in the series Curious Pictures, put on by the Urban Art Commission and funded by the First Tennessee Award for Innovation in the Arts. Each Friday night from now until October 8 will feature a different artist. All shows begin at 8 p.m. and end at 11:30 p.m.
“It is intentionally different things,” says John Weeden of the Urban Art Commission. “It’s meant to be a variety to show the breadth of types of video and digital work being produced locally. Some of it is more narrative, more traditionally cinematic. Some of it is more abstract and rooted in pattern and design.”
All of the shows involve projecting work onto a screen or wall, and will take place in different locations each time. Jill Wissmiller’s show, Magic Meaning Making Machine, is the first of five shows and will take place outside the Orpheum.
“Her show is intentionally interactive,” says Weeden. “It’s built as a participatory experience with the audience.”
Jill will set up a projection station with a classroom overhead projector. Viewers will walk up and Jill will teach them how to use the machine to project different images. “What it does,” says Weeden, “is translate the drawings and abstract markings of whoever wishes to different colors and patterns [projected] onto the wall of the Orpheum.”
Future shows include:
September 17, Erik Jambor screens Godfrey Reggio’s KOYAANISQATSI outside of Jolly Royal Furniture Store
September 24, Sarah Fleming and Christopher Reyes display their work at Center Lane near the Madison Hotel
October 1, Alex Harrison and his band, The Warble, combine music and light display at the Waterford Building at Front and Beale
October 8, Work from Brian Dixon,Matt Ducklo, Chris Miner, Matthias Mueller and Christoph Giradet on the Main Street Mall behind 1 Commerce Square
