On the Edge of the Infinite
Part VI
Nic Koller
Date: Saturday, December 14, 2024
Time: 6 - 9 pm
Location: Active Space, 566 Johnson Ave. Brooklyn
On the Edge of the Infinite
Part VI
Today, the idea of "home" extends beyond a physical space. Remote work, climate concerns, and global connectivity redefine the comfort and belonging so often associated with traditional living spaces. Yet, despite the comfort that 'home' provides, we drift through different physical locations and social milieus, and across vast digital landscapes. Each transition challenges us: Who are we beyond the familiar comforts of our daily surroundings?
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"On the Edge of the Infinite, Part VI" is a one-night exhibition that brings together works by Laura Horne, Whitney Ramage, and Jenn Cacciola, with performances by Jianhao Zheng and Nic Koller. Reflecting on tensions between home and detachment, this collection of works investigates how digital environments, cultural transformations, and shifts in personal narratives shape our sense of belonging and the allure of escape.
The artists:
Jianhao Zheng's multimedia performance harnesses live-streamed surveillance feeds and artificial intelligence to craft an evolving audiovisual landscape. As the perspective shifts outward, the work becomes increasingly fractured and distorted—a powerful metaphor for the paradoxical nature of digital connectivity, where increased reach often yields diminishing returns in genuine human connection.
Laura Horne examines escape through technology. By subjecting found objects to Google Lens's algorithmic gaze, Horne reveals the often absurd ways in which digital tools attempt to categorize and understand our material world. The resulting work serves as both a critique and celebration of our attempts to find meaning in an age of information abundance.
Jenn Cacciola occupies a more contemplative territory, exploring the psychology of transition and the human need to reach beyond the present moment. Through the manipulation of materials and space, Cacciola creates environments that capture the tension between presence and absence, memory and forgetting. Her work suggests that true escape might lie not in flight from reality but in deeper engagement with its mysteries, connecting to an unreachable past and unknowable future.
Whitney Ramage adds a layer of introspection. Her practice, deeply rooted in the examination of personal identity and collective memory, demonstrates how looking inward can become a form of escape—one that paradoxically leads to a greater connection with the universal human experience.
Nic Koller's performance draws on the broader themes of protest and upheaval, exploring notions of disruption and renewal. Reflecting on the concept of home as a contested space, Koller's work delves into the poetry of impermanence, where the failures and glitches of our escape attempts become sources of beauty and insight.
"On the Edge of the Infinite, Part VI" portrays escapism as a complex negotiation between presence and absence, connection and disconnection, the finite and the infinite. It challenges us to consider whether true freedom lies not in perfect escape but in understanding the beautiful futility of the attempt. By navigating the fragile line between staying grounded and reaching beyond, the exhibition probes deeper into the tensions of identity, community, and the human compulsion to transcend boundaries.
Jianhao Zheng