Artist-run spaces are quite creative when it comes to naming their spaces. Recall a small handful (in alphabetical order) in Philadelphia: Fjord, Grizzly Grizzly, Little Berlin, Lord Ludd, Napoleon, New Boone, Pterodactyl, Tiger Strikes Asteroid and Vox Populi. In light of these names, I think a naïve question needs to be posed: why do so many artist-run spaces organize their activities under the rubric of names that, on a formal level, have very little to do with artistic production?
Read MoreEach time I visited the space to see “Shotgun Inversion,” fellow onlookers seemed more or less unaware of or unconcerned by its status as a sculptural object. People leaned up against the wall or brushed their fingers against it as they passed, chain-link fence-style. A friend and I hung our arms over the waist-high partition on one side like it was a carnival booth. One visitor wondered aloud what she’d do if she dropped her phone on the other side of the structure.
Read MoreOn September 28, a group of approximately 30 people gathered in Vox Populi’s black box performance space to talk about art criticism, as part of the 2016 New Art Writing Challenge sponsored by Artblog and the St. Claire.
Read MoreOffering insights into the general state of art criticism in Philadelphia: its strengths, its weaknesses, its causes and effects, its defining characteristics, its responsibilities, its audiences, the New Art Writing Challenge 2016 Roundtable Discussion offers thoughtful discourse about something we talk about, worry over, and have opinions on, but only few of us do: art writing and reviewing.
Read MoreAs someone who knows and has seen these artists develop their practice, I find many artistic commonalities and formal intersections in the show. In the pairings on view in the multi-room space at Vox, the strongest is undoubtedly the collaboration between Alber and Caponera. PLAYDATE #3 is the work of five months of teamwork, planning, and camaraderie.
Read MoreThe safari began on the fourth floor with a visit to photographer Jeffrey Stockbridge’s gallery and Fine Art Print Shop. Stockbridge discussed several of his projects with the safari, including “Kensington Blues.” This on-going project documents the people of one of Philadelphia’s most impoverished and underserved communities.
Read MoreWhat are you doing Saturday, May 7, from 2PM-4PM? If you’re not shopping for Mothers Day presents, then join us on the next Art Safari to the alternative galleries! Get in on some lively conversations about art, see the exhibits and talk with the artists!
Read MoreOn March 4, a group of intrepid art students from the Barnes Foundation, led by artist John B. Gatti, took a tour of Vox Populi, Savery Gallery, and Space 1026. Stay tuned for more Art Safaris coming later this year.
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