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Throug Looking 2 • twenty/twenty
gh The g Glass F
or more than a year, we have been confined to our studios and homes, concentrating on our projects and getting prepared for Senior Open Studios. We have been affixed to the looking glass of endless screen time as it replaced face-to-face interactions with friends, family, mentors and our communities. To add to the distress, we have experienced reports and images of explosive civil unrest and hate crimes in the United States, exposing our democratic institutions to destabilizing threats. We have gone through the most viral global pandemic since the outbreak of the Spanish flu and have felt the temperature rise on America’s cold civil war. Our emotions have swayed between fear, anxiety, loneliness, exhaustion and numbing depression. Yet, despite these severe drawbacks and uncertainties, we have remained steadfast. The works pictured here speak to the level of commitment each student has shown under these exceptional circumstances. The many themes we face in society at this current moment in time are, as always, reflected in art: racial injustice, gender inequality, man-made and natural disasters, climate change, social isolation, as well as technological advances and indelible memories of other times. Through the use of myriad materials such as paint on canvas, silkscreen, drawing, etching, ceramics, video and the digital arts, photography, wood, metal and even living organisms, our graduating seniors have converted their homes into studios, their kitchens into laboratories
and their backyards into performance spaces. With an ability to improvise and work with what is available, we have optimized and transformed space and materials. Despite limited social interaction, we have nevertheless created outstanding work. As the emergence of light slips beyond darkening skies, liquid rainbows appear in our minds, heralding in a return to what we may expect to experience as a new normal, whatever that may be. The arts and their institutions have endured much during the past 14 months, but like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, our lives will be changed as we move on to new endeavors as creative beings. As we have well learned, we are all in this together, where geographic boundaries are mute to the swiftly evolving conditions of the natural world and our embeddedness in it. The world is a skin, a sheath, and we are just temporary organisms living within it. Let us move forward towards peace and justice for all creatures and remember that creativity is a salve to a damaged planet and our consciousness—but let us not forget that the salve must be applied. Best wishes and deep congratulations to you all, on behalf of the faculty, staff and administration. We wish you our deep congratulations. We will never forget the courage you have displayed. Until then, Suzanne Anker, Chair BFA Fine Arts Department 3
A Return to I
n John Dewey’s seminal text, Art as Experience, he discusses a triangular relationship between three components of art making and experiencing art. In one corner, we have the artist and all her/his/their curated experiences that inform the work. No matter how much an artist tries to avoid these experiences appearing in the work, this is practically impossible. Consciously avoiding these manifestations (based on empirical knowledge) creates a counterbalance that still reflects those experiences. Even attempts by conceptual artists like Lee Olfan to disassociate himself from his work come close, but not entirely, because of his role as creator. The conceptual implications are valuable fodder for discussions and subsequent bodies of work, as well as the concentric effects those bodies of work can have. In another corner, there is the work itself. The embodiment of ideas made manifest, that is, materials manipulated to form a defiant entity. No matter the level of subtlety, like Pinocchio to Geppetto, compelling artwork kicks its creator and anyone else encountered from its undeniable intensity. In essence, the work is made whole and graces the world with its bold and recalcitrant attitude. It no longer needs help, no matter how it is or may be perceived. In the third corner, we have the audience—those like myself, who come across the work. The artist has no control over the empirical knowledge brought to the table by the public. Although the audience doesn’t necessarily need to be considered, these differing experiential views can shed new light on the work, even ones that may not have been anticipated or intended. These triangular components have a symbiotic relationship, which points to a problem if the artist is arbitrary in the artmaking process, unless this is expressly part of the scope of her/her/their practice. Arbitrary approaches usually result in work that is not memorable beyond a few seconds of experiencing it because there are no olive branches for connections. The arbitrary most often comes in the form of not being able to recognize influences. Such an artist is not digging in and doing the introspective work required to make art that is tight in execution. If the artwork is timely in conceptual prop4 • twenty/twenty
erties and thus gleans the potential to stand the test of time, it is informed by its place in the continuum of art history. These are all somewhat lofty goals but can be a particular challenge to young artists as a result of not having the experience to make those necessary connections. There has never been a more opportune time for a recalibration of most things including artmaking. It remains to be seen what the other side of this tunnel of worldwide crisis will look like. COVID-19 brought us an unanticipated shift. What is it to experience art within this paradigm shift? How do we make work within this shift? What are these young folks facing? How will tactile and cognitive connections be made within this new digital era that has been thrust upon us? I strongly believe that Art with a capital A is about community. It is about bringing people together that may not have come together otherwise despite the age-old notion of the master artist slaving away in the studio. Our forced digital era coupled by isolation that we had not seen in any of our lifetimes will result in shifts that have not yet fully manifested or that can be predicted. This social isolation has challenged our notion of community in general. However, one of the advantages of attending art school is to belong to a network fostering a dialogue with other aspiring artists: to look at classmates’ work, exchange ideas, talk about materials and techniques. Experiencing art offline specifically brings a more refined engagement with pre-COVID art. Like any other generation that has faced adversity, this one has and will continue to shift. What post-COVID art will look like continues to develop before our eyes. These students are giving us early signs of what the art world and beyond will look like in the coming years. We need only to look back at the last worldwide pandemic, the Spanish flu, and the art that proceeded those years (1918-20). Movements such as Dada, Surrealism and Expressionism emerged. We can’t forget that the Spanish flu years were at the tail end of World War I. Nonetheless, it is hard to compartmentalize the paradigm shift that occurred in the form of intense questioning of what was considered conventional art
o Sincerity at the time and the ushering in of abstraction to avoid reality or expand it. The cynical and abject were charged with recalibrating aesthetic value at that time. We had seen this before in response to great plague and war. What will this worldwide crisis bring in its tail end? Many of these challenges come in waves, and we certainly are not immune to those complexities today. It has become cliché to poke fun at younger generations, but this younger generation and its artists are tasked with a seemingly insurmountable challenge. In addition to the pandemic, no one needs reminders of the vitriol and apparent dissolution in our political systems, no matter what side of the aisle you might fall on. Add to this the social unrest of the summer of 2020. The Black Lives Matter movement, precipitated by several senseless murders, took full force, while hateful rhetoric and systemic violence against Asian Americans were on the rise. One would think the outcome of art by emerging artists, such as the recent graduates of the School of Visual Arts BFA program, would be of blight but it is quite to the contrary, and why not? Inequities, injustice and subsequent underreactions were exposed. I don’t have enough space in these pages to list the problems of the world, but a call to action has been made. And if gauged through the eyes of our 20/20 SVA artists, it is that of vision, hope and defiance in the face of adversity. These 20 artists chosen to be part of the 20/20 catalog in 2021 represent a new sense of community and engagement. These artists are challenging Dewey’s notions of “art as experience” and reinventing what was taken away from them and all of us. Most of all, they are giving us a much-needed return to sincerity. —Angel Abreu, faculty member; curator, 20/20 catalog
5
Shiding Chen
Untitled (Copper Plate 2) • 2021 • Digital rendering • Image courtesy of the artist
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7
Shiding Chen
Untitled (Brass Bar 1) • 2021 • Digital rendering • Image courtesy of the artist
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Untitled (Brass Bar 2) • 2021 • Digital rendering • Image courtesy of the artist
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Shiding Chen
Untitled (Dots 1) • 2021 • Digital rendering • Image courtesy of the artist
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Untitled (Dots 2) • 2021 • Digital rendering • Image courtesy of the artist
11
Zihan Chen
Enscape Series • 2018 • Clay, fabric, metal, plastic, marble • Dimensions variable • Image courtesy of the artist
Mars Project • 2021 • Paper, stone, sand • Dimensions variable • Image courtesy of the artist
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Recorder • 2020 • Wood, wax • Dimensions variable • Image courtesy of the artist
13
Zihan Chen
Fluctuation City • 2021 • Wire net, plastic tube, plastic plants, miniature model buildings • Dimensions variable • Image courtesy of the artist
Fluctuation City (detail) • 2021 • Wire net, plastic tube, plastic plants, miniature model buildings • Dimensions variable • Image courtesy of the artist
14 • twenty/twenty
Recorder • 2020 • Wood, wax • Dimensions variable • Image courtesy of the artist
15
Abby Helms
Self Portrait on My Birthday • 2020 • Oil on canvas • 12x12" • Image courtesy of the artist
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Cherry Blossom I • 2020 • Oil on watercolor paper • 12x10" • Image courtesy of the artist
17
Abby Helms
Before The Four Of Us • 2020 • Oil on unstretched canvas • 29x47" • Image courtesy of the artist
18 • twenty/twenty
Till You Arrive • 2020 • Oil on watercolor paper • 12x16" • Image courtesy of the artist
19
Abby Helms
20 • twenty/twenty
The American Dream • 2020 • Oil on canvas • 42x65.5" • Image courtesy of the artist
21
Ryan Cosbert
Ode To Claudette Colvin • 2021 • Acrylic and newsprint on canvas • 60×52" • Image courtesy of the artist
22 • twenty/twenty
Anguish and Distress • 2021 • Acrylic on canvas • 60×52" • Image courtesy of the artist
23
Ryan Cosbert
Mysticism (detail) • 2021 • Acrylic on canvas • 72×72" • Image courtesy of the artist
24 • twenty/twenty
The only difference between you and me is you were brought here by force • 2021 • Acrylic on canvas • 72×72" • Image courtesy of the artist
25
Ryan Cosbert
Georgetown • 2021 • Acrylic on wood panel • 23" • Image courtesy of the artist
26 • twenty/twenty
Port Au Prince • 2021 • Acrylic on wood panel • 23" • Image courtesy of the artist
27
Srishti Dass
Installation view • 2021 • Image courtesy of the artist
28 • twenty/twenty
29
Srishti Dass
Vibrations • 2021 • Colored pencil on paper • 27×36" • Image courtesy of the artist
30 • twenty/twenty
Point of View • 2021 • Colored pencil on paper • 27×36" • Image courtesy of the artist
31
Srishti Dass
Micro/Macro • 2021 • Colored pencil on paper • 27×24" • Image courtesy of the artist
32 • twenty/twenty
Mannat • 2021 • Colored pencil and gold leaf on paper • 24×27" • Image courtesy of the artist
33
Darius Dyson
34 • twenty/twenty
Untitled Collage • 2021 • Acrylic and screenprint on canvas • 12 panels, 30×32" • Image courtesy of the artist
35
Darius Dyson
Cautious Man • 2021 • Acrylic on canvas • 54×66" • Image courtesy of the artist
36 • twenty/twenty
Untitled • 2021 • Acrylic and screenprint on canvas • 30×32" • Image courtesy of the artist
37
Darius Dyson
Creation of Evil • 2021 • Acrylic on canvas • 58×86" • Image courtesy of the artist
38 • twenty/twenty
Kobe • 2021 • Acrylic on canvas • 50×38" • Image courtesy of the artist
39
Nadia Fediv
Capricorn Rising On a Razor Scooter • 2021 • Acrylic on canvas • 40×40" • Image courtesy of the artist
40 • twenty/twenty
A Juice Box Always Keeps the Doctor Away • 2021 • Acrylic on canvas • 24×24" • Image courtesy of the artist
41
Nadia Fediv
Nadia Belokon • 2021 • Acrylic on canvas • 22×22" • Image courtesy of the artist
42 • twenty/twenty
1 Sheep. . . 2 Sheep. . . 3 Sheep. . . Sleep • 2021 • Acrylic on canvas • 24×24" • Image courtesy of the artist
Ode to Claudette Colvin • 2021 • Acrylic and newsprint on canvas • 60×52" • Image courtesy of the artist 43
Lanyi Gao
Pai Fang/Stealth Kidnapping • 2021 • Resin, metal • 9×9×9" • Image courtesy of the artist
44 • twenty/twenty
Pai Fang/Stealth Kidnapping • 2021 • Resin, metal • 9×9×9" • Image courtesy of the artist
45
Lanyi Gao
Pai Fang/Stealth Kidnapping • 2021 • Digital rendering, resin, metal • Image courtesy of the artist
Pai Fang/Stealth Kidnapping • 2021 • Digital rendering, resin, metal • Image courtesy of the artist
46 • twenty/twenty
Woman • 2020 • Multiple, bamboo, metal, wood, silicone, hair • D4×H10", 12×2×2" • Image courtesy of the artist
Take off • 2020 • Gold foil on PLA • 1.5×1.5×4" each • Image courtesy of the artist
47
Bree Gore
Facing History • 2021 • Digital collage on canvas • 80×85" • Photo by Raul Valverde
48 • twenty/twenty
Facing History • 2021 • Digital collage on canvas • 80×85" • Photo by Raul Valverde
49
Bree Gore
Facing History • 2021 • Digital collage on canvas • 80×85" • Photo by Raul Valverde 50 • twenty/twenty
Facing History (detail) • 2021 • Digital collage on canvas • 80×85" • Photo by Raul Valverde
Facing History (detail) • 2021 • Digital collage on canvas • 80×85" • Photo by Raul Valverde
51
Antonia-Marie Kim
To Carry Bodies You Barely Know (155.3 miles) • 2021 • Steel, wire ripe, aluminum wire, plexiglass, embossed faux leather • 62×85×96" • Image courtesy of the artist
52 • twenty/twenty
To Unwind • 2017 • Nails, thread, plexiglass on Styrofoam • 8×41×72" • Image courtesy of the artist
53
Antonia-Marie Kim
Untitled (installation view) • 2021 • Prescription pills, bottles, fabric, vellum, paper, coat hangers, acrylic, plexiglass, wood • Dimensions variable • Photo by Gustavo Murillo
Untitled (detail) • 2021 • Prescription pills, bottles, fabric, vellum, paper, coat hangers, acrylic, plexiglass, wood • Dimensions variable • Photo by Gustavo Murillo
54 • twenty/twenty
Made in South Korea • 2019–2021 • Inkjet print on silk habotai and wood • 19×30×32" • Image courtesy of the artist
Made in South Korea (detail) • 2019-2021 • Inkjet print on silk habotai and wood • 19×30×32" • Image courtesy of the artist 55
Songmee Lee
Free Spirited • 2021 • Oil on canvas • 16×20" • Image courtesy of the artist
56 • twenty/twenty
I am what I am • 2021 • Oil on canvas • 16×20" • Image courtesy of the artist
Untitled • 2021 • Acrylic on canvas • 16×20" • Image courtesy of the artist
57
Songmee Lee
Series 1 • 2021 • Oil on canvas • 24×28.5" • Image courtesy of the artist
58 • twenty/twenty
The end of the festival • 2021 • Oil on canvas • 23.5×28.5" • Image courtesy of the artist
59
Aynsley Leonardis
Beatlemania (installation view) • 2021 • Image courtesy of the artist
Beatlemania • 2021 • Oil on canvas • 24×30" • Image courtesy of the artist 60 • twenty/twenty
Beatlemania II • 2021 • Oil on canvas • 24×30" • Image courtesy of the artist
Beatlemania III • 2021 • Oil on canvas • 24×30" • Image courtesy of the artist
61
Aynsley Leonardis
N/A • 2021 • Oil on canvas • 36×48" • Image courtesy of the artist
62 • twenty/twenty
I Know How Joan of Arc Felt • 2021 • Aluminum jump rings, pin back buttons • 16.5×7×12" • Image courtesy of the artist
63
Jiaqi Li
Is there still a possibility? • 2021 • Digital photograph • Dimensions variable • Image courtesy of the artist
64 • twenty/twenty
Is there still a possibility? • 2021 • Digital photograph • Dimensions variable • Image courtesy of the artist
65
Jiaqi Li
66 • twenty/twenty
A Path Connecting Reality and Dream • 2021 • Installation • Dimensions variable • Image courtesy of the artist
67
Jiaqi Li
Scene • 2021 • Digital photograph of Multi-media Installation • Dimensions variable • Image courtesy of the artist
68 • twenty/twenty
The World is Yours (Installation view) • 2021 • Installation • Dimensions variable • Image courtesy of the artist
FUNERAL • 2020 • Installation • Dimensions variable • Image courtesy of the artist
69
Yizhi Liu
2:00:00 AM • 2021 • Acrylic on canvas • 40×64" • Image courtesy of the artist
70 • twenty/twenty
Mirror • 2021 • Acrylic on wood • 36×48" • Image courtesy of the artist
71
Yizhi Liu
The Meal • 2021 • Fabric, cotton, resin, plastic, acrylic, metal • 12×12" • Image courtesy of the artist
72 • twenty/twenty
NO. 1 • 2020 • Resin, toys, acrylic • 5×5" • Image courtesy of the artist
73
Yizhi Liu
Dried Fish • 2020 • Video game screen recording • 8:59 minutes • Image courtesy of the artist
74 • twenty/twenty
75
James Meyer
Memory Landscape (installation view) • 2021 • Glass, steel, plexiglass, resin, florescent light, LED lights, liquid, 3D printing • 108×108×108" • Image courtesy of the artist
76 • twenty/twenty
Snow-globe group • 2020 • Glass, liquid, resin, 3D prints • Image courtesy of the artist
Girl by car window • 2020 • Ink on mylar, lightbox • 24×30×3" • Image courtesy of the artist 77
James Meyer
Relic 1; Dormant Memory • 2021 • Glass, liquid, resin, 3D print • 12×12×13" • Image courtesy of the artist
78 • twenty/twenty
Clock • 2020 • Ink on mylar, lightbox • 24×30×3" • Image courtesy of the artist
Wolf • 2020 • Ink on mylar, lightbox • 24×30×3" • Image courtesy of the artist
79
Matthew Perez
16th St. Altarpiece (installation view) • 2021 • House paint, vinyl paint, acrylic paint, oil on canvas and wood • 95.5×85.75×108.75" • Photo by Raul Valverde
80 • twenty/twenty
Is that you? • 2021 • Oil on wood • 6×6" • Image courtesy of the artist
81
Matthew Perez
Nommo (detail) • 2021 • Oil on canvas • 54×20" • Image courtesy of the artist
82 • twenty/twenty
Yuruga (detail) • 2021 • Oil on canvas • 54×20" • Image courtesy of the artist
83
Farwah Rizvi
Studio installation (Centerpiece: The Dunce, 2020) • 2021 • Oil and gold leaf on canvas, wood, vanity string lights, acrylic paint • Photo by Joseph Tekippe 84 • twenty/twenty
85
Farwah Rizvi
Untitled • 2020 • Oil and gold leaf on canvas and house paint • 20×32" • Image courtesy of the artist
86 • twenty/twenty
Work From Home (Virtual Isolation series) • 2020 • Ballpoints and markers on paper • 6.5×8.5" • Image courtesy of the artist
87
Farwah Rizvi
Two Demons Fighting Over a Paper Towel • 2020 • Oil and gold leaf on wood, vinyl paint and house paint • 22×28" • Image courtesy of the artist 88 • twenty/twenty
Arghan Dev with Corona • 2021 • Oil on canvas, wooden frame with bottle caps, vinyl paint, house paint • 65.5×44" • Photo by Raul Valverde
Arghan Dev with Corona (detail) • 2021 • Oil on canvas, wooden frame with bottle caps, vinyl paint, house paint • 65.5×44" • Photo by Raul Valverde 89
Sophia Santella
Installation view • 2021 • Photo by Raul Valverde
90 • twenty/twenty
No Justice • 2021 • Digital photograph • Image courtesy of the artist
Installation floor painting • 2021 • Acrylic on canvas • Photo by Raul Valverde
No Connection • 2021 • digital photograph • Image courtesy of the artist
91
Sophia Santella
Eyes Open • 2020 • digital photograph • Image courtesy of the artist
92 • twenty/twenty
Pink Girl • 2020 • Digital photograph • Image courtesy of the artist
93
Lidia Tomaj
Installation view • 2021 • Image courtesy of the artist
94 • twenty/twenty
Untitled • 2021 • Photograph, print, light fixture and wood • 9.25×13" • Image courtesy of the artist
Untitled, Fatberg and Faucet (installation view) • 2021 • Photograph, print, foam, metal, glass, resin and pigment • Image courtesy of the artist
Faucet • 2021 • Metal, pipes, mesh, glass • 8×23" • Image courtesy of the artist
95
Lidia Tomaj
Untitled • 2020 • Digital print • 36×24" • Image courtesy of the artist
96 • twenty/twenty
Untitled • 2020 • Digital print • 36×24" • Image courtesy of the artist
97
Qinxi Yu
Seize • 2020 • Foam, newspaper, ecopoxy glass, fake grass, faucet, video • 30×12×30" • Image courtesy of the artist
98 • twenty/twenty
As We Start II • 2020 • HTML game • Image courtesy of the artist
99
Qinxi Yu
Escape • 2019 • Foam, fake grass, ecopoxy glass, newspaper • 30×6.5×30" • Image courtesy of the artist
100 • twenty/twenty
Labyrinth • 2020 • Foam, mosaic, plastic, timer • 30×21×30" • Image courtesy of the artist
Her Stacked Back Disappeared in the Long Journey • 2021 • Mosaic tiles, tree branch, video, plastic bicycle backseat • 74×52×15" • Image courtesy of the artist
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twenty/twenty Cover artwork by Srishti Dass Inside cover artwork by Bree Gore
A Note from the Chair
3
Essay by Angel Abreu
4
Curator’s Choices Shiding Chen
6
Zihan Chen
12
Abby Helms
16
Ryan Cosbert
22
Srishti Dass
28
Darius Dyson
34
Nadia Fediv
40
Lanyi Gao
44
Bree Gore
48
Antonia-Marie Kim
52
Songmee Lee
56
Aynsley Leonardis
60
Jiaqi Li
64
Yizhi Liu
70
James Meyer
76
Matthew Perez
80
Farwah Rizvi
84
Sophia Santella
90
Lidia Tomaj
94
Qinxi Yu
98
102 • twenty/twenty
BFA Fine Arts: About the Program Honors Shiding Chen Zihan Chen Abby Helms Ryan Cosbert Srishti Dass Darius Dyson Lanyi Gao Antonia-Maria Kim Jiaqi Li Yizhi Liu James Meyer Soyoung Park Farwah Rizvi Qinxi Yu Thesis Award Matthew Perez Rhodes Family Awards Zihao Chen Kun Kyung Sok Pamela Brown Roberts Memorial Scholarship Songmee Lee Society of Scribes Award Kun Kyung Sok
From figure studies to cutting-edge conceptual approaches, our department prepares the fine arts student to enter a myriad of professions and graduate programs. Courses in art history and contemporary art theory inform creative approaches to diverse aesthetic practices. In addition to traditional media, SVA offers experimental practices in digital sculpture and the emerging field of bio-art The Fine Arts Department at the School of Visual Arts is unique. At SVA , the fine arts student can choose an individualized course of study. Our new Fine Arts Digital Lab hosts private workstations equipped with up-to-the-minute software and instruction. Our digital sculpture initiative boasts computer-driven cutting machines for fabricating sculpture. Painting classes include projects in direct observation or photo-based imagery as well as methods for producing abstract and narrative work. Our faculty consists of professional artists, critics and curators whose work has achieved both national and international recognition. In addition, the Fine Arts Department sponsors many events and field trips to museums, galleries and artists’ studios to prepare the student for professional-level experience in the arts. With Chelsea’s art scene at our back door, students stay tuned in to art history in the making. Networking opportunities inside and outside SVA prepare our students for job placements and career development. For example, you might land a studio job assisting an instructor or a visiting artist, which could become access to a gallery, which could lead to your first show. In senior year, we invite gallery dealers and curators to open-studio events which showcase your work. It is a twice-yearly chance for you to make important networking connections. In addition, we focus on all avenues of creative production. Our alumni have worked at top art museums, animation studios, education venues, art therapy practices, public art and other allied professions. You have access to more than 90 instructors in the studio art department; a number unmatched in size and excellence anywhere else. These artists of stature are a vital part of the New York creative scene, whose work you can see in the galleries, museums and even the public spaces of the city. Connect with the ones who inspire and support your creative efforts —the artists you gravitate toward will act as your mentors and help you achieve your artistic goals. Becoming a fine artist in New York City is to see and feel the fluent dynamics of creation as an interchange of ideas and visual experiences supporting your creative talents now and in the future.
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