The latest installation at the Fuller Projects, “Why Ask Y,” opened Friday night. The show by Nelson Kaufman and Ben Jaggers had two parts: a more traditional gallery-type display on the right and an interactive activity with the artists themselves on the left.
Vincent Edwards, coordinator of the Fine Arts workshop down the hall, said he attended the show to get a better idea of what the students he works with do in their ?studio time.
This exhibit, Edwards said, created an entertaining experience for all attending.
“That was a really fun and engaging environment they had created in there,” Edwards said. “It seemed like they had a lot of people’s attention riveted and caught up in the ?moment nicely.”
Senior Anna Goldfarb said she had no experience with the Fuller Projects before but, upon suggestion from a friend in the BFA program, she attended this show.
“We went to another art opening tonight and wanted to check out this one out,” Goldfarb said. “I’ve ?always wanted to come see inside the school, I always walk by it.”
According to Goldfarb, the experience resonated with her because of a memory of the sort of game they played on the interactive side.
The challenge the artists posed was for patrons to join in to keep a piece of light plastic in the air by blowing underneath, never touching the piece with their hands.
“I always used to play that game as a kid, where you have to blow that thing in the air, so that was fun to see,” Goldfarb said. “I liked it, the ‘no-hands’ approach.”
Patrons were able to decide which room they visited first, so the experience was greatly shaped by where they began their journey.
Edwards said he began his night on the quiet side then switched over to the interactive portion.
“The other side, the second room, was interesting in how completely still it was,” Edwards said. “We went in that room first and they created a greater sense of mystery for what might be in the first room because there was so much motion, and it was fun to imagine what would be going before we saw it.”
Edwards said the juxtaposition of the two rooms made the show what it was: an unexpected but enjoyable night.
“That’s what makes the entire show work nicely,” Edwards said. “It is fun to experience both things, but I’m glad I got to imagine what was going on in the louder room before I actually entered it.”
Shan Gao, a recent IU graduate and friend of the Kaufman’s, said she came in with no idea of what to expect.
“I know he’s a sculpture major, but the definition of sculpture — I still have the traditional description of what a sculpture is,” Gao said. “From his description, there’s more to it. I’m just here to check it out.”
Gao said she was a little lost because of the more abstract idea of what the sculpture could be, but she hoped to gain insight by speaking with Kaufman after the show.
“I kind of want to talk to Nelson about what was the idea behind it, and after talking to him, I’ll have a better idea,” Gao said. “I don’t want to just walk out without knowing what I watched.”
Edwards said the group of BFA exhibits, especially those chosen to display at the Fuller Projects, draws inspiration from a new perspective growing in the Henry Radford School of Fine Arts.
“It seems like about half of them are performance-based,” Edwards said. “This particular group of sculpture BFA’s has been working a lot with the visiting professor to do more interactive work that engages people.”
The Fuller Projects offer more of a performative venue for non-traditional art, Edwards said. This is an objective he believes the space has delivered on with many of its displays this year.
“This particular space is really aimed at pieces that only happen as a performance one night,” Edwards said. “It’s not necessarily how the space is always used, but it’s how it ?functions best.”
