{"id":11701,"date":"2022-01-13T17:38:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-13T22:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/?p=11701"},"modified":"2022-01-23T13:11:03","modified_gmt":"2022-01-23T18:11:03","slug":"empty-columns-are-a-place-to-dream-knoxville","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/content\/collage-exhibitions\/empty-columns-are-a-place-to-dream-knoxville\/","title":{"rendered":"Empty Columns Are a Place to Dream Travels to the Knoxville Museum of Art"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

COLLAGE ON VIEW<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Empty Columns Are a Place to Dream<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

at the Knoxville Museum of Art in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
4 January-19 February 2022<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Book Launch & Talk: Saturday, 29 January 2022 at 2PM EST<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

EXHIBITION INFO<\/a> | EVENT RSVP<\/a> | ORDER A BOOK<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Each of the eighteen artists\u2013from eleven countries\u2013in \u201cEmpty Columns Are a Place to Dream\u201d reimagines an empty column in Birr, County Offaly, Ireland as a monument that speaks to a world where all people enjoy safety, security, well-being, and dignity on their own terms. The exhibition will be on view at the Knoxville Museum of Art from January 4 to February 19, 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2021, at the invitation of the citizens of Birr, curator Ric Kasini Kadour invited eighteen collage artists from eleven countries to use the photograph, The Square, Parsonstown<\/em> by Robert French (1841-1917) from the Lawrence Photograph Collection, to imagine a monument that speaks to a world where all people enjoy safety, security, well-being, and dignity on their own terms. The collage prints debuted during the 53rd Annual Birr Vintage Week & Arts Festival, where the project was recognized with a National Heritage Award. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Clockwise from top left: Collages by Marta Janik, Ashley Pryor, Avi Yair, Duduetsang Lamola, Inas Al-soqi, Kevin Geronimo Brandtner, Mark Murphy, and Christopher Kurts. Courtesy of the artists.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe exhibition of these works in the American South changes the context of the project from one rooted in British imperialism to an opportunity to reflect upon the role monuments can play in historical revisionism, in particular as we work to undo the legacy of slavery and the use of Confederate monuments to distort history and intimidate the descendants of enslaved people,” writes Kadour. \u201cThat important civic conversation has focused on whether monuments should stay or be removed. We hope this exhibition invites a different conversation: What role do we want monuments to play in our community? What shared ideas or collective memories do we want future generations to celebrate? And ultimately, how can we build communities where all people enjoy safety, security, well-being, and dignity on their own terms.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the book, Empty Columns Are a Place to Dream<\/em>, Ric Kasini Kadour unpacks what monuments are and their role in our communities. He takes the reader on a tour from the Megalithic Temples of Malta to Br\u00fa na B\u00f3inne in Ireland to the Confederate monuments of Obion County, Tennessee to the empty column in the center of Birr, County Offaly, Ireland. On Saturday, January 29, 2022 at 2PM at the Knoxville Museum of Art<\/a>, Kadour will speak about the life cycle of monuments and why conflicts around monuments are important to figuring out who we are as a people. Pre-register for the event HERE<\/a>. The book, Empty Columns Are a Place to Dream<\/em>, is available at Kasini House ARTSHOP<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
clockwise from top left: Collages by Rashad Ali Muhammad, Anthony D Kelly, Lynne Hoare, Simon Blake, Caroline Conway, Denise Zygadlo, Elyana Shamselangeroodi, and Danielle Cole. Courtesy of the artists.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

ABOUT THE ARTISTS<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

From Cape Town, South Africa, Duduetsang Lamola<\/strong>\u2018s Imagined Monument to Scattered Routes and Roots<\/em> uses the complex history of Birr; its hidden stories; its botanical relationship with China; and ideas about nature and motherhood to ask how our relationship to our histories inform how we imagine a collective future-past. An interdisciplinary artist of the African diaspora, Rashad Ali Muhammad<\/strong>\u2018s collage asks us to think about those rebels and radicals who inspire us, who inspire others, and who have helped move humanity forward.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tel Aviv, Israel artist Avi Yair<\/strong> shows us Emmet Square as a parade of human evolution, Darwin\u2019s apes to humans but in reverse order, walks past the Birr Column which the artist leaves empty to \u201crepresent what is no longer there and to leave room for hope and renewal.\u201d Born in Romania of Palestinian descent, Inas Al-soqi<\/strong>\u2018s collage recalls the history of educator, suffragist, and Irish nationalist Catherine Mohan as a way of pointing to how the small gestures of history shape our world today. Upon learning about the C\u00e1in Adomn\u00e1in at The Synod of Birr in 697 that paved the way for the Declaration of Human Rights and Geneva Conventions, Tehran, Iran collagist Elyana Shamselangeroodi<\/strong> was moved to make \u201ca thank you note to Birr.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Castlebar, County Mayo, Anthony D Kelly<\/strong>\u2019s A Monument to Dreaming Together<\/em> allows viewers to dream backwards and forwards in time through the use of faces, each rendered from a different period of history. Frustrated by the state of society, Birr artist Lynne Hoare<\/strong> imagines the Birr Column into a carnival game booth where she can toss her troubles away. \u201cNow is the time for everyone to possess their own empty column, pillar or tower,\u201d she writes. Caroline Conway<\/strong> pays homage to Birr\u2019s history of hosting the Irish Hot Air Ballooning Championships and the joyous optimism such a spectacle inspires. From Dumfries, Scotland, Denise Zygadlo<\/strong> subverts the Birr Column\u2019s original purpose and converts it into a shining beacon of positivity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Canadian collagist Danielle Cole<\/strong> reassembles North American vintage print culture from 1920s-1960s into \u201cplayful and cheeky collages.\u201d She reimagines the Birr Column as a diving board where \u201cwomen leap joyously away from the past and towards a future of gender equality for all female identified people.\u201d A suite of collages from Toledo, Ohio\u2019s Ashley Pryor<\/strong> uses Jacques Lacan\u2019s graph of desire to interrogate the human state of want. Here, the monument becomes an object of prayer. Christopher Kurts<\/strong> lives and works in New Orleans, Louisiana, a city that has struggled in recent years with its legacy of monuments to white supremacy. Kurts\u2019 collage uses space and floral imagery to celebrate science and discovery, shifting the idea of monuments away from the \u201cGreat Men of History\u201d and towards the ideas that made them great. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Brussels, Belgium, David Crunelle<\/strong> presents an image evocative of his paper intarsia and lenticular cut outs to suggest an invisible presence that he hopes comes back to life in the hearts of the people of Birr. Marta Janik<\/strong> of Warsaw, Poland imagines an oak tree on the top of Birr column as an act of reconciliation with the planet and the people on it. Renowned Birmingham, England artist and designer Mark Murphy<\/strong> imagines a second Birr Column and a line of images, shapes, colors, and textures between them as a way of celebrating small, individual contributions to community that help shape a place long after they are completed. Originally from London, England, Simon Blake<\/strong> imagines a giant hand atop of Birr Column as a symbol of our collective consciousness, which he sees as a force for good, and a response to the communal pain caused by man\u2019s decisions. From Vienna, Austria, Kevin Geronimo Brandtner<\/strong> imagines the Birr Column on the top of the world as an expression of hope for unity and diversity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Clockwise from top left: Collages by Ashley Pryor, David Crunelle, Ashley Pryor, Ashley Pryor, and Ric Kasini Kadour. Courtesy of the artists.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

ABOUT THE CURATOR, RIC KASINI KADOUR<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ric Kasini Kadour, a 2021 Andy Warhol Foundation for the Arts Curatorial Fellow, is a writer, artist, publisher, and cultural worker. Working with the Vermont Arts Council, Kadour curated four exhibits: \u201cConnection: The Art of Coming Together\u201d (2017) and Vermont Artists to Watch 2018, 2019 and 2020. In 2017, he curated \u201cThe Art of Winter\u201d at S.P.A.C.E. Gallery in Burlington, Vermont. In 2018, Kadour curated \u201cRevolutionary Paths: Critical Issues in Collage\u201d at Antenna Gallery in New Orleans, which bought together collage artists whose work represents the potential for deeper inquiry and further curatorial exploration of the medium; followed in 2019 by \u201cCultural Deconstructions: Critical Issues in Collage\u201d at LeMieux Galleries in New Orleans, which furthered the conversation. Since 2018, he has produced Kolaj Fest New Orleans, a multi-day festival & symposium about contemporary collage and its role in art, culture, and society. As Curator of Contemporary Art at Rokeby Museum in Ferrisburgh, Vermont in 2019 and 2020, he curated three exhibitions, \u201cRokeby Through the Lens\u201d (May 19-June 16, 2019), \u201cStructures\u201d (August 24-October 27, 2019), and \u201cMending Fences: New Works by Carol MacDonald\u201d (July 12-October 25, 2020). He also curated \u201cContemporary American Regionalism: Vermont Perspectives\u201d (August 17-October 20, 2019) and \u201cWhere the Sun Casts No Shadow: Postcards from the Creative Crossroads of Quito, Ecuador\u201d (November 1-30, 2019) in the Wilson Museum & Galleries at the Southern Vermont Arts Center. \u201cThe Money $how\u201d, co-curated with Frank Juarez, was presented at the AIR Space Gallery at Saint Kate-The Arts Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (April 10-September 12, 2021). For Birr Vintage Week & Arts Festival in Birr, County Offaly, Ireland (August 13-20, 2021), he curated \u201cEmpty Columns Are a Place to Dream\u201d. Kadour is the editor and publisher of Kolaj Magazine<\/em>. He has written for a number of galleries and his writing has appeared in Hyperallergic, OEI, Vermont Magazine, Seven Days, Seattle Weekly, Art New England<\/em> (where he was the former Vermont editor) and many others. Kadour maintains an active art practice and his photography, collage, and sculpture have been exhibited in and are part of private collections in Australia, Europe and North America. In January-February 2020, he was artist-in-residence at MERZ Gallery in Sanquhar, Scotland. He holds a BA in Comparative Religion from the University of Vermont. Kadour splits his time between Montreal and New Orleans. www.rickasinikadour.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

INFORMATION<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knoxville Museum of Art<\/strong>
1050 World\u2019s Fair Park Drive
Knoxville, Tennessee 37916 USA
(865) 525-6101<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hours:
Tuesday-Saturday, 10AM-5PM
Sunday, 1-5PM<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MAP<\/a> | WEBSITE<\/a> | FACEBOOK<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n


<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

COLLAGE ON VIEW Empty Columns Are a Place to Dream at the Knoxville Museum of Art in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA4 January-19 February 2022 Book Launch & Talk: Saturday, 29 January 2022 at 2PM EST EXHIBITION INFO | EVENT RSVP | ORDER A BOOK Each…<\/p>\n

Read more →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":11702,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/exhibition-placard-blank-1.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2QTD7-32J","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":13506,"url":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/institute\/collage-folklore-residency-knoxville\/","url_meta":{"origin":11701,"position":0},"title":"Folklore & Collage Residency: Knoxville","author":"Christopher Byrne","date":"5 February 2023","format":"gallery","excerpt":"Sanctuary by Leanne Poellinger8\"x10\"; paper collage on cradled wood panel; 2020. Courtesy of the artist. RESIDENCY UPDATE Folklore & Collage Artist Residency: Knoxville at the Knoxville Museum of Art in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA19-23 March 2023 An in-person residency at the Knoxville Museum of Art in Tennessee centered on collage artists\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Institute"","block_context":{"text":"Institute","link":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/category\/institute\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/leanne-poellinger-Sanctuary.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/leanne-poellinger-Sanctuary.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/leanne-poellinger-Sanctuary.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/leanne-poellinger-Sanctuary.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11987,"url":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/content\/articles\/monumental-dreams\/","url_meta":{"origin":11701,"position":1},"title":"Monumental Dreams","author":"Christopher Byrne","date":"19 January 2022","format":"gallery","excerpt":"\"Empty Columns Are a Place to Dream\", installation view during the 53rd Annual Birr Vintage Week & Arts Festival, August 2021. Photo by Marta Janik. First Person Report of \u201cEmpty Columns Are a Place to Dream\u201d in Birr, Ireland Each of the eighteen artists\u2013from eleven countries\u2013in \u201cEmpty Columns Are a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/category\/content\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Empty-Columns-Photo-by-Marta-Janik.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Empty-Columns-Photo-by-Marta-Janik.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Empty-Columns-Photo-by-Marta-Janik.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Empty-Columns-Photo-by-Marta-Janik.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11716,"url":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/content\/collage-events\/kolaj-institute-announces-program-for-kolaj-live-knoxville\/","url_meta":{"origin":11701,"position":2},"title":"Kolaj Institute Announces Program for Kolaj LIVE Knoxville","author":"Christopher Byrne","date":"21 September 2021","format":"gallery","excerpt":"KOLAJ LIVE KNOXVILLE Kolaj Institute Announces Program for Kolaj LIVE Knoxville Kolaj LIVE Knoxville is a real time manifestation of\u00a0Kolaj Magazine\u00a0and Kolaj Institute. From the evening of Friday, November 5th to Sunday, November 7th, 2021, artists, curators, and writers will gather for a weekend of collage making, slideshows, exhibition visits,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Events"","block_context":{"text":"Events","link":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/category\/content\/collage-events\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Kolaj-Live-Knoxville.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Kolaj-Live-Knoxville.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Kolaj-Live-Knoxville.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Kolaj-Live-Knoxville.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11481,"url":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/content\/collage-exhibitions\/under-construction-collage-from-the-mint-museum\/","url_meta":{"origin":11701,"position":3},"title":"Under Construction: Collage from The Mint Museum","author":"Christopher Byrne","date":"22 August 2021","format":"gallery","excerpt":"How to Mine the Past by Felicia van Borkmonotype collage; 2012. Gift of Jerald Melberg and Felicia van Bork. 2016.9. \u00a9 Felicia van Bork, 2012 COLLAGE ON VIEW Under Construction: Collage from The Mint Museum at the Knoxville Museum of Art in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA20 August-7 November 2021 Featuring nearly\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Exhibitions"","block_context":{"text":"Exhibitions","link":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/category\/content\/collage-exhibitions\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/felicia-van-bork-how-to-mine-the-past.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/felicia-van-bork-how-to-mine-the-past.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/felicia-van-bork-how-to-mine-the-past.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/felicia-van-bork-how-to-mine-the-past.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12632,"url":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/content\/articles\/uncollage-in-action-knoxville\/","url_meta":{"origin":11701,"position":4},"title":"Uncollage in Action: Knoxville","author":"Christopher Byrne","date":"10 June 2022","format":"gallery","excerpt":"Palimpsest by Richard Clarke18\"x24\"; watercolor on paper; 1960. Knoxville Museum of Art, 2012 gift of Stephanie and John Case, 2012.03.01 FROM KOLAJ 35 Todd Bartel Interprets Selections from \u201cCurrents\u201d at the Knoxville Museum of Art Uncollage is rather like water\u2019s capacity to morph, eddy, flow, and conform to any shape,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/category\/content\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Clark-Richard-Palimpsest.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Clark-Richard-Palimpsest.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Clark-Richard-Palimpsest.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/Clark-Richard-Palimpsest.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12135,"url":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/content\/collage-books\/new-zine-identiblocks-portrait-001\/","url_meta":{"origin":11701,"position":5},"title":"New Zine: Identiblocks: Portrait #001","author":"Christopher Byrne","date":"5 February 2022","format":"gallery","excerpt":"PUBLICATION ANNOUNCEMENT Identiblocks: Portrait #001 by Mark Vargo, 2022 Identiblocks: Portrait #001 by conceptual collage artist Mark Vargo pushes the boundaries of traditional paper collage into an interactive, dynamic and 3-dimensional space allowing individuals to both create and perform their own collage mask that represents their identity, vision and emotions.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Books"","block_context":{"text":"Books","link":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/category\/content\/collage-books\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/IDENTIBLOCKS-Cover.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/IDENTIBLOCKS-Cover.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/IDENTIBLOCKS-Cover.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/IDENTIBLOCKS-Cover.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11701"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11701"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11701\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11702"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11701"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11701"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kolajmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11701"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}