CHICAGO, IL, 10/29/13 - THE MISSION | Chicago is pleased to present Leap into the Void, an installation by Colombian artists Fernando Pareja and Leidy Chavez. Organized by curator Gilbert Vicario, the installation is centered on three-dimensional animation and is Pareja and Chavez’s U.S. premiere. Using a combination of pre-cinematic devices, haunting soundtracks, and a restrained minimalist sensibility, the artists create awe-inspiring kinetic vignettes that are drawn from lived experiences, yet connect on an emotional and universal level. Their work draws on Colombian history and its ongoing struggles with left- and right-wing political factions, violence, and the recent uprising by farmers demanding more government support.
“The installation is an investigation into how 19th century animation devices - such as the zoetrope and praxinoscope - can effectively be used in a contemporary context as a viable means of communicating a potent message. Pareja and Chavez’s interest in these antiquated technologies seem to come at an appropriate moment when the creative potential of digitally-based technologies seems tapped out and saturated. Sitting somewhere between a static photograph and a moving image, their three-dimensional zoetropes function on multiple perceptual levels incorporating sculpture, animation, sound and stroboscopic lights to achieve a fluid and seamless effect.”
-Gilbert Vicario, curator
The exhibition will be accompanied by a fully illustrated brochure, featuring an essay by curator Gilbert Vicario.
Leap into the Void opens at THE MISSION | Chicago on Friday, November 15 and continues through Saturday, December 21, 2013. An opening reception will be held on November 15th from 6 - 8pm.
Image: Fernando Pareja and Leidy Chavez, Opresores Oprimidos, installation, animation with beeswax models, cardboard and wood, 46 in. diameter, 2013
“The installation is an investigation into how 19th century animation devices - such as the zoetrope and praxinoscope - can effectively be used in a contemporary context as a viable means of communicating a potent message. Pareja and Chavez’s interest in these antiquated technologies seem to come at an appropriate moment when the creative potential of digitally-based technologies seems tapped out and saturated. Sitting somewhere between a static photograph and a moving image, their three-dimensional zoetropes function on multiple perceptual levels incorporating sculpture, animation, sound and stroboscopic lights to achieve a fluid and seamless effect.”
-Gilbert Vicario, curator
The exhibition will be accompanied by a fully illustrated brochure, featuring an essay by curator Gilbert Vicario.
Leap into the Void opens at THE MISSION | Chicago on Friday, November 15 and continues through Saturday, December 21, 2013. An opening reception will be held on November 15th from 6 - 8pm.
Image: Fernando Pareja and Leidy Chavez, Opresores Oprimidos, installation, animation with beeswax models, cardboard and wood, 46 in. diameter, 2013
