Patriot Acts January 12, 2008

On January 26th, 18th Street launches its most ambitious exhibition series ever, THE FUTURE OF NATIONS, a year long look at many of the issues that will determine the future of the nation, viewed from the multiple perspectives of an array of contemporary artists.

The opening reception for our initial offering, the group exhibition PATRIOT ACTS and the HABEAS LOUNGE will be held on Saturday, January 26, 2008, from 6:00 to 9:00 pm.

Gallery hours: 11am–5:30pm, Monday–Friday

PATRIOT ACTS AND THE HABEAS LOUNGE

Inspired by Samuel Johnson's words written in 1775 "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel", Linda Pollack has curated an art exhibition that departs from recent manifestations of patriotism (Go out and shop, the USA PATRIOT ACT) and has invited eleven artists to create new works about different constitutional issues for PATRIOT ACTS. While the works themselves do not offer a prescription for how to be a patriot, the exhibit explores visions about core constitutional issues confronting us today. Pollack suggests that it is engagement with the complex issues of constitutional democracy, and not mindless support of the various schemes cooked up by present day scoundrels, where true patriotism, alluded to in Johnson's critique 200+ years ago, resides.

Anchored by a voting machine relic, Vincent Johnson takes a sober view of our right to vote, looking historically at voting technology and follies over the years to the present day. Sara Hendren's video interviews directly examine the often-overlooked experience of jury duty. Filmmaker Meena Nanji takes a survey on the status of academic freedom in a post 9/11 homeland security world. Pam Strugar joins forces with Shirley Tse to create a flowing dynamic sculpture that offers a highly associative inner meditation on the principle of Habeas Corpus. Hillary Mushkin's patterned wallpaper camouflages two national obsessions - war and consumption, in high design. Rebecca Ripple creates a minimal wall piece, taking a simple word that has become a smoke screen to deflect attention from the most irrational of national plans. Susan Silton's postcard series returns us to the very basics of grade school journalism, reminding us all of the Five Questions. Zeal Harris tells the stories of a two-term Iraqi war veteran in a complex world of war, economics, social forces and politics in her mixed media canvas. Irina Contreras charms us with her series of zoetrope’s, tugging on our nostalgia for this historic technology until we realize its images are of immigrant detention centers.

On opening night, the public is invited to join Adam Overton in a performance that harks back to the first constitution of our bodies and our collective beings.

As a backdrop to the project, Pollack has created The Habeas Lounge, a space to support civic dialogue. Located in the new project room gallery at 18th Street Art Center, the Lounge offers an oversized oval red sofa that shapes dialogue and social interaction, where Pollack has hosted a series of formal and informal discussions since September 29, 2007. The social sculpture sofa is designed by Mark Gee of Mimetic systems especially for The Habeas Lounge, which will be up through March 28.

Official Website: http://www.18thstreet.org/futureofnations/