Tobias Fike, “Landscape.
By Alex Wukman
While most people will be celebrating the highest of the High Holy Days this weekend a spattering of artists will be showcasing various on-site “environmental art” projects at Russ Pitman Park in Bellaire. The exhibit, entitled “It’s a Phase,” features work from notable local luminaries like Emily Sloan and Lina Dib. Curated by Houston based photographer Divya Murthy “It’s a Phase” is a series of collaborative pieces that encourage artists and audience members to explore the history and ecosystems of the four acre wooded park in the middle of the tony inner-loop suburb of Bellaire. In an interview with Arts and Culture magazine Murthy also said that while the exhibit is not primarily concerned with issues of green living and sustainability installing art in a nature preserve helped the artists to “fully consider the impact and integration” the various types of exhibits will have on the specific environment of the park.
Working with park staff–including on site naturalist Eric Duran–allowed the artists to begin making scientific investigations, explorations, and historical references through installations and time-based events. Among the features being highlighted in the show is cross-species collaboration and one of the installations that puts interaction with non-human organisms front and center is Caroline Collective founder Ned Doddington’s interactive piece “Urban Aries” which he describes as “a collaborative cross-species approach to architecture and design” that will allow both birds and humans to engage in “the time-honored tradition of watching.”
At the opening reception on Saturday, April 7, Lina Dib and Abinadi Meza will be exhibiting an interactive sound station and Barna Kantor will have a time-based installation from 7:45 p.m. to 8:45p.m. Allison Hunter, who has not revealed much about her installation, will be including the video “I remember fireflies” in the show.
Full information:
“It’s a Phase–On-Site Artist Projects at Russ Pitman Park”
April 4-May 13 2012
Opening reception Saturday, April 7, 6 p.m.-8 p.m. at Russ Pitman Park and The Nature Discovery Center–7112 Newcastle Street, Bellaire, TX 77401–713.667.6550 www.naturediscoverycenter.org. After party from 9:30 p.m.-12 a.m. at The Fairview, 315 Fairview St., Houston, 77006
Event page here
