Solvent Space Hosts “spongespace” Exhibition

By Tom Gresham

"Spongespace," an experience in immersion, opens on Jan. 25 at Solvent Space, an experimental exhibition space in the Plant Zero arts complex.

The exhibition, which is designed by Hope Ginsburg, assistant professor of art foundation at Virginia Commonwealth University, features an elaborate art installation and a series of "immersive" workshops, in which an eccentric collection of topics is knit together to reveal a series of unexpected relationships.

The VCU School of the Arts and its Department of Painting and Printmaking operates Solvent Space, which is located at the corner of Hull and Fourth streets in Richmond, in cooperation with Plant Zero. The opening reception for "spongespace" will be held on Jan. 25 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and the exhibition runs through Feb. 23. Solvent Space, which is free and open to the public, is open on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, from noon to 4 p.m.    

The "spongespace"installation is designed to feel immersive and sensorial. Visitors will be treated to an interpretation of the sea sponge's sea floor habitat. Solvent Space's large main room will have two vibrant wall paintings that run the length of the gallery. The paintings, which were designed by VCU graduate student Leah Beeferman, depict the flow of water through two asconoid sea sponges. Sound artist Stephen Vitiello, assistant professor of kinetic imaging at VCU, has designed a soundscape for the piece that was inspired by undersea sonar navigation. There will also be a projection screen, showing an underwater documentary, and a seating area in the gallery.

In addition, during the opening, viewers will tread on a large moistened and carded bat of wool, thereby felting it into a carpet for the gallery; the large, back room of the gallery will house a fully operational wool felt-making studio; and, on a second-floor balcony space, a slide show will play images taken by artist Dana Sherwood of an Indonesian reef at low tide.

The three "spongespace" workshops are an integral aspect of the exhibition. The workshops, each of which is different, include hands-on projects, expert speakers, projected films, the design of a headquarters and the assembly of a Sponge Reader. In keeping with the model of sponge reproduction, the workshops conclude when each participant conducts an immersive experience for the rest of the group. Advanced registration is required for the workshops, which are held Feb. 2-3, Feb. 9-10 and Feb. 16-17.

Workshop speakers include Vitiello (Feb. 9-10); oceanographic robotics engineer Brian Bingham, Ph.D., an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering and a visiting scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (Feb. 9-10); curator Larissa Harris, associate director of MIT's Center for Advanced Visual Studies (Feb. 16-17); curator Denise Markonish of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (Feb. 16-17) and Elizabeth Schambelan, a senior editor at Artforum (Feb. 16-17). Additional speakers will be announced on the exhibition website.

This is Ginsburg's third "Sponge" project. She plans to continue to stage these exhibitions in the future. For more information about the exhibition and the three scheduled Sponge workshops, or to register in advance for participation, please visit: http://www.spongespace.net.