SiTE:LAB
@ the
Morton ArtPrize 2014 | September 24 – October 12, 2014
The Catalog, SiTE:LAB @ Morton Designed and Published by Kate Folkert and Tom Wagner; Text by Rachel Neva Š2014 Folkert/Neva/Wagner, all rights reserved. Funding and support for the catalog generously provided by Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University (KCAD).
SiTE:LAB @
the Morton
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I was familiar with the exterior of the building, but had never been inside. It became pretty apparent on that first visit that this was going to be a pretty exciting space to work in and immediately said yes, we’d love to use this building.” Paul Amenta, Curator and Co-Founder, SiTE:LAB
We tend to gather around an idea in order to make something happen. We all have something valuable to contribute. Perhaps on another level, we gather out of the desire to be near the spark of energy that births something new. Just being near the spark can be enough to spawn and inspire another idea. Then another. And so it goes.
WELCOME TO SiTE:LAB Rachel Neva
Historically, rivers were that spark, gathering places and spaces of commerce as traders from beyond the region came to do business with the industries situated along the banks of the river. Grand Rapids grew from a small outpost of Native Americans and European settlers who traded goods, metals, textiles and furs with each other along the Grand River. Founded in 1826 by Louis Campau, Grand Rapids is now the second largest city in Michigan. It could be argued, that some of that original energy and spirit still flows via the Grand River today. Perhaps you’ll even feel it walking the streets and meeting people. We’re a city that applauds and supports new ideas. We have a welcoming spirit and atmosphere for people who want to create, whether it’s a new business, a new creative or artistic venture or a movement to make change. That is especially true when it comes to innovation in art and design. (See page 10 for examples throughout Grand Rapids.) When looking at SiTE:LAB, you’d be hardpressed to disagree. The all-volunteer, arts non-profit is a haven for creative minds, seasoned artists, students and communityminded individuals. It’s a place where the wildest ideas can come to fruition. A place for student artists and artists who are more widely
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known within the art world. A place where those with day jobs in varying fields can be part of a larger creative force within the community. Co-founded by Paul Amenta and Tom Clinton, building on Amenta’s experience with his earlier venture, Activesite, SiTE:LAB has been putting on events in Grand Rapids since 2010. The group has presented four ArtPrize venues, including this year’s at the Morton. SiTE:LAB’s 2011 ArtPrize exhibition within the former Junior Achievement building at 2 East Fulton inspired the creation of the Outstanding Venue award. To date, SiTE:LAB and its ArtPrize artists have won ten ArtPrize Juror awards—three outstanding venue juried awards, plus seven other juried awards, including the 2013 and 2012 winners of the $100,000 grand prize juried award. During his time living and working as an artist in New York, Amenta created art installations with the intention of capturing the energy and attendance generated by an art show’s opening night. SiTE:LAB began and, other than ArtPrize, continues to pursue this idea of free, one-night only art events that draw thousands for each show. In 2013 SiTE:LAB made its first move outside of Grand Rapids with a successful showing at Untitled, in Miami during Art Basel. That show was part of an ongoing educational collaboration with Kendall College of Art and Design.
the opportunity to experience art they might not normally see in spaces they wouldn’t normally be able to explore. To date, nearly all of the buildings that have played host to SiTE:LAB art installations have eventually gone on to be redeveloped and flourish after the art is cleared away. SiTE:LAB is much like the spaces inhabited by the art installations themselves in that people come together to create and share ideas, learn new things and connect and create community. The Morton—a grand hotel in its heyday—offered a gathering place for travelers and community members alike. The former Grand Rapids Public Museum at 54 Jefferson, and the former Junior Achievement building were community and educational gathering places. If you love the spirit of community, sparks of inspiration and the energy and discussion pulsing through the city during your visit to ArtPrize, welcome! Grand Rapids and its visionaries, makers, community organizers, artists, volunteers and all around passionate folks have put out our best as you visit, but we’re always here, doing what we do to continue to make this city as vibrant and inviting as possible.
With a core group of volunteers and artists from around the community and the world, SiTE:LAB’s temporary art exhibitions are most often presented in underutilized or long-vacant buildings with the support and cooperation of developers and building owners. The community-at-large benefits by having
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EXAMPLES OF CREATIVE INNOVATION IN GRAND RAPIDS Furniture City Grand Rapids has a long history as a leader in the furniture industry—dating back to the mid1800s. The availability of quality timber and a booming logging industry helped Grand Rapids stake a claim at the forefront of furniture manufacturing, design and marketing. As the nation became more industrialized, companies located in and around Grand Rapids branched into or were founded specifically to produce office furniture. Today, many of the top office furniture manufacturers are still based in Grand Rapids or within West Michigan. Grand Rapids Art Museum What began as the Grand Rapids Art Gallery in 1910 within a private residence is now a cornerstone of the Grand Rapids art community. In 2007 the museum moved from the Federal Building, which had been its home since 1981, into a $75 million LEED certified building in the heart of the city. The museum’s collection includes over 5,000 works, ranging from Renaissance to Modern art. Kendall College of Art and Design In 1931 the school opened its doors as the David Walcott Kendall School of Art, as a memoriam to the nationally known furniture designer who had made his living in Grand Rapids. Today, KCAD exists as a college within Ferris State University and has numerous relationships within the art and design world that enrich educational opportunities. The school offers BFA, MFA, and MArch degrees, and MBA-level courses, as well as Continuing Studies classes to the community The 1969 installation of “La Grande Vitesse” by Alexander Calder Making the installation a reality was a collaborative effort between a private citizen who had an existing relationship with Calder, local politicians, businesses and philanthropies. It was one of the first federally funded works of public art in the United States to receive funding by the National Endowment for the Arts. Grand Rapids’ Festival of the Arts, one of the largest allvolunteer arts events in the country, began in 1969 as community celebration inspired by the installation
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of Calder’s “La Grande Vitesse.” The three-day annual celebration of the arts has been going strong for 45 years, thanks in large part to passionate volunteers and a community that supports the arts. UICA The Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts began in 1977 when a group of artists formed a non-profit organization that could be a platform for showcasing “challenging new forms of artistic expression.” With an initial focus on visual arts, and expanding to include all forms of contemporary art, UICA continues to be an integral part of the arts community. WMCAT The West Michigan Center for Art & Technology is a not-for-profit education and training institution that began in 2005. Along with technical career programs for adults, it offers Grand Rapids Public School students an arts and technology curriculum through afterschool programming. Daytime residency programs of varying length are available for any school in Kent County. ArtPrize Thanks to ArtPrize founder Rick DeVos, grandson of Amway co-founder Richard DeVos, each fall since 2009, Grand Rapids turns art salon. Art is literally everywhere. People teem through the city looking at art, and most importantly, talking about art. The tension between the public vote popularity contest and the jury panel selections in four categories (2D, 3D, Time Based and Installation) creates fertile ground for gatherings and discussion. It’s not uncommon for strangers to discuss their picks and pans over the course of the three-week event, speculating who should win the two grand prizes totaling $400,000. When ArtPrize was originally announced, DeVos said “It’s time to reboot the conversation between artists and the public.” With the competition garnering national media attention, drawing artists from around the country and the world, and bringing 400,000 people into Grand Rapids to be part of the experience, it’s safe to say that desire has been realized.
SiTE:LAB Event History SiTE:LAB/East Hills October 2010 833 Lake Drive, Grand Rapids, MI SiTE:LAB/Praxis April 2011 2 East Fulton, Grand Rapids, MI BFA Show @ 2 East Fulton June 2011 Grand Rapids, MI SiTE:LAB/Blandford Nature Center July 2011 Grand Rapids, MI SiTE:LAB + U of M School of Art & Design ArtPrize: September-October 2011 2 East Fulton, Grand Rapids, MI SiTE:LAB ϒ April 2012 Harris Furniture Building, Grand Rapids, MI SiTE:LAB/Blandford Nature Center June 2012 Grand Rapids, MI SiTE:LAB – The Dream Before ArtPrize: September-October 2012 54 Jefferson, Grand Rapids, MI SiTE:LAB – Workflow April 2013 54 Jefferson, Grand Rapids, MI SiTE:LAB/Blandford Nature Center July 2013 Grand Rapids, MI 54 Jeff: An International Design Ideas Competition June-September 2013 Grand Rapids, MI SiTE:LAB – The Not Yet ArtPrize: September-October 2013 54 Jefferson, Grand Rapids, MI SiTE:LAB @ Untitled Miami December 2013 Miami, FL SiTE:LAB – Blacktop April 2014 LaGrave Avenue SE, Grand Rapids, MI SiTE:LAB x ArtifactGR June 2014 The Downey Mansion, Chicago, IL SiTE:LAB – Strange Attractors ArtPrize: September-October 2014 The Morton, Grand Rapids, MI
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LOWER LEVEL SKaTE:LAB Premier+SiTE:LAB
pages 100–105 artist statement page 117
English Grille This area was another dining area within the hotel. Originally, when the hotel opened it was an English Grill. In the 1960s it went through three different iterations including the New Morton Café, The Kitten Club (before it moved upstairs) and Rathskeller der Kelder (Dutch for “The Cellar”), a GermanDutch restaurant. In the 1980s, it became Three Crowns.
Roundabout2 Hubert Dobler
pages 48–53 artist statement page 112
Love ‘em, Leave ‘em Kate Gilmore
pages 68–73
Crossed Situation Lisa Mueller-Trede
artist statement page 114
pages 92–99 artist statement page 115
Bank Vault This vault was shared by the Morton Hotel and theKent State Bank next door. 10
Chung King House of Metal Christopher Fachini Sliding Architecture Joe Reinsel/Flint Public Art Project
pages 62–67 artist statement page 113
pages 86–91 artist statement page 113
Men’s Barbershop and Restroom When the Morton Hotel opened in 1923, this portion of the basement served as a men’s barbershop with five barbershop chairs. The black and white tile you see today is the original, imported Italian marble tile.
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Stop and think about the premise of turning every inch of downtown Grand Rapids into a celebration of our freedom and ability to express our thoughts, opinions, and ideas. A place where everyone is invited and anyone can join the conversation about what we make and who we are. ” Stephen Halko, Professor, Kendall College of Art and Design read the full speech on page 108
Hold Still Katie Bell
pages 74–79 artist statement page 112
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Hotels were, above all, spaces of consumption and social interaction, complex spaces where the private and public collided. Erica Morawski, Professor, Kendall College of Art and Design read the full essay on page 110
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FIRST FLOOR Symptomatic Constant Julie Schenkelberg
pages 24–31 artist statement page 116
Morton Hotel Lobby Grand Rapids has a rich history as a center for furniture manufacturing that dates back to the 1800s. When the Morton Hotel opened in 1923, many of the rooms, including lobby were appointed with furniture made in Grand Rapids. The lobby also featured Batesville, Mississippi marble floors, Travertine marble walls, and subtle plaster ceiling relief details with seraphim, dolphins and swans. The concierge countertops and fronts were made with rare noir Belge marble, a type of black marble only found in Belgium.
The Secrets of Nature Scott Hocking
pages 54–61 artist statement page 114
Kent State Bank Lobby In 1923 when the bank opened next to the Morton Hotel, it featured a coffer plaster beamed ceiling, Italian Travertine walls and arched columns, and Vermont marble tables with iron legs resembling winged Griffins. In 1929, just prior to the stock market crash, Kent State Bank merged with Old National Bank to become Old Kent Bank. In 1957, the walls and ceiling were stripped of any detail and a second floor was added, which has now been partially cut away.
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respirador (breather) Dance in the Annex (DITA)
pages 16–23 artist statement page 112
Palm Court This room would have been an informal gathering spot within the hotel, decorated with living palm plants/trees. Originally, the room also featured a water fountain that was later removed. In the 1960s this space, in combination with the adjoining Boar’s Head Room was home to the Kitten Club.
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At the intersection of materials and concepts artists of all levels offer work that dilates the eyes, quickens the heart and activates the mind. A thoroughfare between artist and viewer transcends the traditional boundaries of the gallery and museum.” Stephen Halko, Drawing Professor, Kendall College of Art and Design read the full speech on page 108
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At the very crux of the hotel as a machine of efficiency was society, driving change and demanding access to the latest trends. ... The services and amenities that hotels offered to guests had to stay current for the hotel to thrive and the very notion of constant change and evolution came to be associated with the definition of the modern hotel.” Erica Morawski, Art History Professor, Kendall College of Art and Design read the full essay on page 110
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SECOND FLOOR
Space Drawing #36 Ryan Roa/Present Company
pages 80–85 artist statement page 115
Men’s Smoking Room In the early 1870s–80s Grand Rapids was a major manufacturer of cigars, with over 30 factories in 1880 alone. The Morton Hotel had its own humidor in one the sub-basements. Men would have gathered in this room to smoke cigars.
The Garden of Future Dreams Graem Whyte
pages 40–47 artist statement page 117
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Join Me in a Land That Knows No End TM Sisters
pages 32–39 artist statement page 115
Florentine Room In 1923 when the Morton Hotel opened, this room mainly served as a ladies lounge where women would gather before dinner and it would have been used as a music room after dinner. In the 1930s the room was used as a second banquet dining room and dance hall.
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Art not only makes us stop and think it shows us what we think about. The symbiotic relationship between art and thinking is something that makes us human. We can better understand what it means to be alive by looking at and thinking about art.” Stephen Halko, Drawing Professor, Kendall College of Art and Design read the full speech on page 108
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the hotel was not only a glimpse into the heart of the city, but into an ideal modern city. Through their interactions with these spaces, both locals and guests proclaimed themselves to be members of modern society as well.
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Erica Morawski, Art History Professor, Kendall College of Art and Design read the full essay on page 110
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SiTE:LAB @
the Morton
Strange Attractors Curated by Paul Amenta ArtPrize 2014 | September 24–October 12, 2014
ARTPRIZE 2014 JURIED AWARD WINNER OUTSTANDING VENUE Juror: Tumelo Mosaka
ARTPRIZE 2014 JURIED AWARD WINNER TIME-BASED Juror: Hrag Vartanian
respirador (breather) Dance In The Annex (DITA)
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ARTPRIZE 2014 JURY AWARD WINNER INSTALLATION Juror: Ariel Saldivar
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Julie Schenkelberg
Symptomatic Constant
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TM Sisters
Join Me in a Land That Knows No End
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The Garden of Future Dreams Graem Whyte 43
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Roundabout2 Hubert Dobler
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The Secrets of Nature Scott Hocking
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Chung King House of Metal Christopher Fachini 64
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Love ‘em, Leave ‘em Kate Gilmore
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Hold Still Katie Bell
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Space Drawing #36 Ryan Roa/Present Company
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Joe Reinsel/Flint Public Art Project
Sliding Architecture
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Crossed Situation Lisa Mueller-Trede
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SKaTE:LAB SiTE:LAB + Premier
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THE JURORS ArtPrize 2014 Category Jurors 2-Dimensional Andrew Russeth, co-executive editor of ARTnews 3-Dimensional Shamim Momin, head of the Los Angeles Nomadic Division Time-Based Hrag Vartanian, editor-in-chief and co-founder of Hyperallergic Installation Ariel Saldivar, independent curator, and former Associate Director of The Goss-Michael Foundation Outstanding Venue Tumelo Mosaka, independent curator
ArtPrize 2014 Grand Prize Jury Susan Sollins, Founder and Executive Director of ART21 Leonardo Drew, artist Katharina Grosse, artist
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What is it about art? “So what is it about Art? When you stop and think about all the things a city can be known for… When you stop and think about all the things that can draw a city together… When you stop and think about it; why does art and ArtPrize intrigue us so much? Stop and think about the premise of turning every inch of downtown Grand Rapids into a celebration of our freedom and ability to express our thoughts, opinions, and ideas. A place where everyone is invited and anyone can join the conversation about what we make and who we are. This |city truly becomes an inclusive place where everyone is encouraged to stop and think. At the intersection of materials and concepts artists of all levels offer work that dilates the eyes, quickens the heart and activates the mind. A thoroughfare between artist and viewer transcends the traditional boundaries of the gallery and museum. Art populates community centers, businesses, schools, garages and green spaces. It can catch us off guard in the middle of our busy city in the middle of our busy lives and make us stop and think. At a time when so many schools struggle to keep art in the classroom, creative professionals, critical thinkers and innovative makers are highly sought after in the business world. Stop and think about the generations growing up right here in Grand Rapids who see their city come together for three weeks every year to celebrate art, ideas, creativity, entrepreneurship, urbanism, innovation and imagination. Art not only makes us stop and think, it shows us what we think about. The symbiotic relationship between art and thinking is something that makes us human. We can better understand what it means to be alive by looking at and thinking about art. You want to know what they thought about in Ancient Egypt around 3000 BC or Italy during the Renaissance? How about our world right now? Look at their art. The Juried Grand Prize acknowledges and rewards those artists whose ideas and enterprise not only represent the issues facing our time they challenge our very notion of what is possible. Innovation and advancement are facilitated not by the reassurance of the familiar, but in the quest for that which we do not yet posses. No one needs special knowledge to be able to think about art. However, considering all historical, philosophical and cultural contexts enriches our experience. Critically thinking about our world is an asset attained by an education in the arts.” Stephen Halko, Professor, Kendall College of Art and Design Speech presented at ArtPrize 2014 Award Ceremony
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Hotels in Modern Society: Machines of Efficiency Erica Morawski, Professor, Kendall College of Art and Design
When the Morton Hotel opened in 1923, Grand Rapidians surely felt a great amount of civic pride in this new modern structure. This feeling was not unique to the citizens of Grand Rapids, as hotels had long served as a site for local boosterism throughout cities and towns in the United States. Society viewed hotels in a much different way in the past than we view them today. Hotels were then some of the most technologically advanced and opulently decorated buildings that one would find in a city. For this reason, modern hotels served as a symbol of a city, conveying notions of modernity and sophistication to those who saw it or experienced its spaces. The type of design and operation that has come to define the modern hotel started in the first half of the nineteenth century as hotels owners and entrepreneurs looked for ways to compete for more business, meet guest expectations, and maximize profit. Compounded by the significant increase in travelers, largely thanks to the advent of the railroad, the need for more hotel rooms caused many owners to build new buildings from scratch. A whole range of hotels sprouted across the United States. Of these, those that were considered modern hotels were not just buildings with larger spaces and more rooms, but were conceived as “machines of efficiency,” spaces that incorporated the latest in building technologies and the newest in amenities and services. The hotel as a machine of efficiency functioned on many levels. One level—the most visible level—was the way in which modern hotels could accommodate the constant flow of people coming and going. Modern management practices allowed these hotels to accommodate increasing numbers of guests, all while operating the vast network of ballrooms, clubs, cafes, and other public spaces of the hotel. On another level, often unseen, were the machinations of the workers and machines that made the guest’s stay pleasurable, or at least acceptable. Laundry machines churned out clean sheets and towels and handled guest laundry as well, ice machines spit out tons of ice, and various types of equipment produced an array of food and drink. Of course, all of this was complemented by a battalion of workers running these machines, as well as performing manual work such as stirring, scrubbing, chopping and hauling. The characteristics of what defined a modern hotel changed over time.Throughout the course of the nineteenth century, varying features were introduced as innovative elements and later became mere requisites:bathrooms, elevators, en suite bathrooms, hot and cold running water, telephones, room service, and various 112
dining options. Modern hotels changed with the times and efficiency increased concurrently, most notably in terms of goods and services hotels provided for guest consumption. Indeed, efficiency was conceived not only in the production of these goods for guests, but also in the ability of guests to easily consume these goods. The services and amenities that hotels offered to guests had to stay current for the hotel to thrive and the very notion of constant change and evolution came to be associated with the definition of the modern hotel. In order to be successful machines of efficiency, modern hotels had to address issues of adaptability and flexibility. Most hotels had to change with the times to stay relevant, and competitive hotels were often undergoing a seemingly ceaseless process of remodeling and updating so that they could speak to current fashions. This involved not only interior decorations and furnishings, but also the types of services and spaces that were available to guests. For example, as “Oriental� themed rooms fell out of vogue, owners looked to Art Deco or Streamline Moderne styles. Likewise, ladies’ tearooms became mixed-sex bars or lounges as society changed its views about proper socialization amongst the sexes. Staying relevant was also a means to stay solvent, and changes in decoration were complemented by a move toward viewing space as a potential for profit. Over time hotels shifted away from open lobby or lounge areas where one could stay as long as one pleased to spaces where it was clear that one needed to consume food or drink in order to occupy the space. At the very crux of the hotel as a machine of efficiency was society, driving change and demanding access to the latest trends. Hotels were, above all, spaces of consumption and social interaction, complex
spaces where the private and public collided in a way that had to be carefully negotiated according to contemporary social norms. They clearly demarcated public and private space, usually allocating the first two floors or so to public zones and relegating guestrooms to upper floors. These public spaces were meant to be used by hotel guests and the local citizenry alike and were viewed as communal social spaces in a way that is different from the way we understand hotels today. Community organizations or clubs would hold countless events in ballrooms, dining rooms, or other spaces of the hotel. Guests might also have been visiting to attend a function that revolved around the use of the spaces. Lobby lounges, cafes and bars, and restaurants, not to mention retail opportunities such as cigar and newsstands, florists, and clothiers, were used by guests and locals. The public spaces of the hotel were some of the premier spaces in the city to see and be seen. Hotels were meeting places where members of society could come together for a variety of formal and informal activities. Ballrooms and dining rooms were the spaces of galas and grand events, while lounges and clubrooms offered spaces for informal politicking, gossiping, and business negotiations. Hotels were spaces were people could proclaim their social aspirations, especially at the Morton Hotel, which was not the grandest hotel in the city, but offered an elegant space for patrons to express their social ambitions. With all of the technologies and services, the hotel was not only a glimpse into the heart of the city, but into an ideal modern city. Through their interactions with these spaces, both locals and guests proclaimed themselves to be members of modern society as well. 113
Katie Bell Hold Still Mixed Media \ Installation I am both a home-maker and a home-wrecker. I am in constant management of what comprises the home, while at the same time disassembling its contents. My studio is a test site where I can gather things and look at them. I can move them around, put them together, build, and ask questions. I think about the history of the material, what’s behind it, what will be in front of it, and why this is our visual language. I think about the surface of walls, the layers behind walls, and how we compile the structures that hold us. Pulling up the rug, opening the closet, and turning up the blinds are a source of material. This building process is one of excavation through time and place. It is through material that allows the ideas to unravel.
and has been featured in BOMB magazine and New American Paintings. Bell lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. Dance In the Annex (DITA) respirador (breather) Film, Dance \ Time Based The Morton becomes a living canvas in this original, site-specific work created by DITA Artistic Director Amy Wilson, called “respirador (breather).” Visitors experience the work as if looking through windows into the past of the legendary venue, watching as voyeurs: artists can be seen through three planes of space, as if they were in the very next room. With a focus on artistry and technique, creativity and collaboration, Dance In The Annex’s mission is to secure,
“Clearly it’s the site that gets the artist excited… [and] the building always dictates the direction of the project… [It’s] not a white box gallery… Some of [the artists] might respond formally to the space and others might respond more to the history, the condition or the context of that space; I hope their projects are sort of able to be a narrative for discovery…” Paul Amenta
Katie Bell was born in Rockford, Illinois. She received her BA from Knox College in 2008 and graduated in 2011 from the Rhode Island School of Design with an MFA in Painting. Bell has shown her work at a variety of venues, including Storefront Ten Eyck (Brooklyn, NY), Nudashank (Baltimore, MD), PLUG Projects (Kansas City, MO), Okay Mountain Gallery (Austin, TX), Mixed Greens (NYC), and the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum (Lincoln, MA). In 2011, she was an artist in residence at the prestigious Marie Walsh Sharpe Art Foundation based in Brooklyn, NY. She currently has an installation on view at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and was recently shortlisted for Thames and Hudson’s upcoming book ‘100 Painters of Tomorrow.’ She has been named by Brooklyn-based critic Paddy Johnson as one of ‘8 Great Brooklyn Artists Under 30’
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promote and enhance modern dance in Grand Rapids by fostering an appreciation of dance through education and performance opportunities. Thank you to Boston Light & Sound Inc., Perrin Brewing Co., Laura Sollom, Rockford Construction, and Wealthy Theatre. Hubert Dobler Roundabout2 Steel \ Time Based Situated at the intersection of technology and art, my work revolves around chaos and utilizes “masculine tools,” such as motorcycles, chainsaws and concrete drums, recording the traces these machines generate when allowed to exist outside their conventional use. By
“... there’s a part of my work where I want to create a sense of mystery, create a new quality of things to discover for myself and for the viewer.” Scott Hocking
taking apart and rearranging objects out of context, I examine the emotional and visceral ties that the viewer may experience when machines are abandoned and operate in an unrestrained fashion. Roaring, bucking and crashing, my machines highlight the power and energy trapped inside everyday technology. I expose the raw power and free spirit inherent in engines and motors. ROUNDABOUT2 is an exploration of kinetic Objects. Two motorcycles that are “tied” together circle each other. Like caged animals, the bikes are on display, performing their trick on repeat. Madly spinning, the throttles are wide open and the bikes release all of their stored energy, moving freely in a space creating burned rubber marks. I started out studying engineering, went on to architecture, and then painting, and worked as a draftsperson in architectural offices for several years. Traveling to the Sahara Desert in Algeria on a motorbike in 1986 left a big impression behind. Some other “out-of-Europe” travels followed: three months in Asia in 1987, three months in Mexico in 1996. In 2001, I visited friends in NY where I have been living since. My education
together with my long-standing fascination with motorbikes, tools, dildos, umbrellas, inner tubes… has directed me to create work that combines architectural and sculptural elements in installation pieces into which I incorporate performance as well as photography, painting and video. Christopher Fachini Chung King House of Metal Mixed Media \ Installation Christopher Damone Fachini is obsessed with the origins of reggae. He composes and riffs on 1960’s Jamaican rhythms. Situated at a mixer that Fachini uses to DJ cassettes of instrumental dub and rocksteady jams that he has written and recorded entirely himself, playing all the instruments (organ, bass, percussion, etc.) on all the tracks. The sound plays through various amps and speaker stacks, one made entirely from rewired, fullyfunctional boomboxes. This installation incorporates his Rockbox Sound System along with other visual elements he calls The Cassette Pets. Detroit sound artist Christopher Fachini’s performances are inspired by the rebellious energy of dub reggae music associated with Jamaican independence. They are set against his Rock Box Sound System. Fachini was described by Chris Handyside of the Detroit Metro Times as “one of Detroit’s truly under-appreciated musical talents” with an “ear for the essence of Motown, Phil Spector, the Beach Boys and old soul pop music.” His solo project called “The Mental Machine,” premiered at Detroit MOCAD’s grand opening in October 2006.
Flint Public Art Project/Joe Reinsel Sliding Architecture Video \ Time Based Amplifier, Inc. /Flint Public Art Project’s installation in collaboration with Joe Reinsel for ArtPrize 2014
“I’m looking to create stress. I’m looking to create tension. I’m looking to create a little bit of nervousness. To almost challenge the viewer, I like the aspect of danger. I like the aspect of a work actually physically challenging you to the point where it feels like it could impede upon one’s space.” Ryan Roa 115
incorporates indoor and outdoor projection mapping components to involve the public in light’s capacity to instantly transform space both at night on the building’s surface and indoors during the day. Using video cameras and projectors, Reinsel’s work, Sliding Architecture, places participants into interactive engagement with the built environment and shifts the building from a static material to a transient and movable object. Flint Public Art Project is produced by Amplifier, Inc., a nonprofit that creates programs to connect public and private groups with the global art and design field, bringing the most innovative work to under-served groups and smaller cities where it can have the greatest possible resonance. Flint Public Art Project organizes public events, workshops and temporary installations to inspire residents to reimagine the city, reclaim vacant and underutilized buildings and lots, and use innovative tools to steer Flint’s long-range planning. Kate Gilmore Love ‘em, Leave ‘em Video \ Time Based This performance was created specifically for an exhibition at MOCA Cleveland. Love ‘em, Leave ‘em will be exhibited at ArtPrize in its video form. “...It is impressive, yet the detritus left behind abounds with ambiguity.” The performance involves Gilmore carrying hundreds of vases with paint up each side of a structure and dropping them through a hole in the top, resulting in a threedimensional painting referencing Jackson Pollock’s abstract expressionist action paintings. “The ceramic pots (which shatter as she drops them from above) reference femininity and, in this piece, the historical vision of the female body as a container and reproductive vessel.” — Lyz Bly of the Collective Arts Network.
“This is a big venue, a big opportunity to share experiences with lots of people. That’s great. That’s why I’m here. ” Lisa Mueller-Trede 116
Kate Gilmore was born in Washington D.C. in 1975 and lives and works in New York, NY. Gilmore received her MFA from the School of Visual Arts, New York, NY and her Bachelors degree from Bates College, Lewiston, ME. Her work is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY; Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, CA; Weatherspoon Art Museum, Greensboro, NC; Indianapolis Museum of Art, IN; and Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL.
“We’re letting the building speak to us and tell us the story of past women who had been in this room or all of the action that still resonates inside of the walls. ” Tasha Lopez de Victoria of TM Sisters
Scott Hocking The Secrets of Nature Mixed Media \ Installation The Secrets of Nature is a mixed media installation focused on creation / destruction mythologies, prehistoric times, and the operations of the sun. Using found objects from various abandoned “tourist traps” and roadside attractions, combined with mysterious artifacts and relics, the installation plays with ideas of archaeology, ceremony, symbology, and mysticism. Scott Hocking lives and works in Detroit, MI. He creates site-specific sculptural installations and photography projects, often using found materials and abandoned locations. Inspired by anything from ancient mythologies to current events, his installations focus on transformation, ephemerality, chance, and discovering beauty through the cycles of nature. His artwork has been exhibited internationally, including the Detroit Institute of Arts, Cranbrook Art Museum, the Museum of Contemporary
Art Detroit, the University of Michigan, the Smart Museum of Art, the School of the Art Institute Chicago, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts Museum, the Mattress Factory Art Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the Kunst-Werke Institute, the Van Abbemuseum, and Kunsthalle Wien. He was recently awarded a Kresge Artist Fellowship, and is represented by Susanne Hilberry Gallery. Lisa Mueller-Trede Crossed Situation Mixed Media \ Installation There are four parts to this work. Performances take place every day. The artist narrates stories verbally and via movement on the floor and on the immediate architectural surroundings throughout the former Morton Hotel. The idea is to extend the working space vertically. Secondly, the artist occasionally encounters with visitors. These movements and encounters are filmed in 3D and 2D. Thirdly, this footage is shown the next day. As time emerges, the film extends due to the assemblage of the various encounters. The fourth part involves numerous installations placed all over the exhibition space. Thank you to Tim Schad and Nucraft Furniture Company for the generous support. As a performance artist Lisa Mueller-Trede creates works, which to a great extent derive from interactions between the artist and the recipients. The body is the instrument connecting subjects and also objects via movement and voice, juxtaposing solid and fluid, static and dynamic results and processes. The architectural surroundings are adjusted to serve the encounters. Some of these interactive performances are captured either on film or photographs and are wound into objects and installations. Lisa has studied Communication Science and Acting in Vienna. In 2013 she performed at the Venice Biennale, at the Kunstverein Hamburg and the Bundeskunsthalle Bonn, 2014 at the Independent Art Fair New York in collaboration with John Bock. Present Company/Ryan Roa Space Drawing #36 Bungee Cords \ Installation As our contribution to the 2014 ArtPrize, Present Company has collaborated with the New York-based artist Ryan Roa to create a massive, site-specific installation inspired by his “Space Drawings” series of work. Roa is a young, multi-disciplinary artist who was inspired to begin making work after completing his military service
“A lot of what I’m doing is showing things that once had use and glory and now they’re decaying.” Julie Schenkelberg
in Iraq. His installations, sculptures, videos and drawings have been featured in gallery and museum exhibitions across the United States and abroad. For the installation at the Morton Hotel, Present Company collaborated with Roa to develop his largest work to date, while simultaneously corresponding with the grand spaces of this historic venue. Visitors will be allowed to pass through, around and under the patterned lines which seemingly grow from the ceiling, walls and floor, leading to a visceral sense of the majestic volume of the newly configured room. Founded in 2011, Present Company is a Brooklynbased exhibition, performance, and social space run by artists/curators Brian Balderston, Chad Stayrook and José Ruiz. Our curatorial program highlights individuals and collectives that flourish in an atmosphere of experimentation and critical dialogue in order to collaboratively produce projects that may not be otherwise presented. TM Sisters Join Me In a Land That Knows No End Mixed Media \ Time Based The Miami-based TM Sisters have created a multimedia installation in the ladies’ Florentine Room or “Golden Room.” Once a location where society ladies waited for their men, they could chat and socialize within the beauty of this room. Projections full of colors and geometric patterns fill the space, reflecting the unseen power and energy held here. The sisters’ techno-tropical aesthetic is enhanced by the upside down palm tree that connects this world with the divine. The radiating circular optical illusion painted on the floor stages multiple live performances. Members of Grand Rapids’ own Grand Raggedy roller derby team and two brothers in the NYCbased punk band, The Unstoppable Death Machines, are collaborators in this site-specific vortex that connects the past with the present.
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Collaborating under the name TM Sisters, Monica and Tasha Lopez de Victoria are known for their kaleidoscopic, multi-media performances. Based in Miami and natives of Florida, the sisters combine audio, visuals, and action in extensive and often interplaying mediums— video, animated projections, performance, and largescale installations, as well as two-dimensional works and social experiments. Informed by an upbringing heavy on discussions of spirituality, psychology, truth, and creativity, the siblings explore these topics in colorful and engaging displays, like their site-specific Whirl Crash Go! in 2008. Injected with Miami spirit, the performance explored the clash of cultures in the city, even including a theatrical fight and reconciliation. During the production, among video projections and abstract imagery, Monica— a synchronized swimmer—performed in a pool beneath mirrored panels, while Tasha—a former competitive speed skater—circled a track in free-style movements.
with the American Rust Belt’s legacy of abandonment and decay. Using the home as a playground for formal and conceptual subversions, the work aggressively disrupts cohesion within the physical sphere. Familiar furnishings rekindle memories or premonitions of collapse, suggesting both the utter destruction of war, calamities, or urban decay, but also the uncanny juxtapositions of fragile substances such as cloth and china, with industrial materials such as rusty metal, heavy concrete, and tool-made marks such as drilled holes and chain-sawed indentations. Thank you to Goodwill of Greater Grand Rapids, Padnos Recycling Center, and Lost and Found Treasures Old and New for supplying materials for “Symptomatic Constant.” Julie Schenkelberg was born and grew up in Cleveland, OH. Schenkelberg received a BA in art history at the College of Wooster, OH, and an MFA at the School of Visual Arts, NY, with additional studies at SAIC at Oxbow, MI,
“I think even just experimenting is a big part for a lot of artists, seeing if you’re able to do what you see in your head and envision and dream of and if it can happen then that’s exciting.” Monica Lopez de Victoria of TM Sisters
Julie Schenkelberg Symptomatic Constant Mixed Media \ Installation “Symptomatic Constant” is my representation of a shipwreck in the Midwest. It is filled with items locally sourced from the Grand Rapids area, including retired sails from a Lake Michigan boat. The piece touches on the twisting turmoil of objects and domestic places in upheaval. The installation emerges from its firm grounding of earth and envisioned water, reaching toward the tranquil place in the sky beyond the storm. My mixed-media installations start with furniture, dishware, textiles, and marble, combined with concrete, resin, and construction materials, to transform notions of domesticity, and engage
Pont Aven School of Contemporary Art, France, and the Institute of European Studies, Vienna. Solo exhibitions include The Sculpture Center, Cleveland, Asya Geisberg Gallery (NY), and upcoming at the Mattress Factory, Pittsburgh. She has been included in exhibitions in Storefront Ten Eyck (NY), A.I.R. Gallery (NY), Station Independent (NY), and the Phatory (NY). She was awarded a residency at the prestigious Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts and has been named one of “30 Artists to Watch” by NY Arts Magazine. Additional press includes Bloomberg, Hyperallergic, Art F City, Beautiful Decay and Ground Magazine. She lives and works in Brooklyn.
“There’s very long hours of no results. And you have to keep pushing yourself until something happens.” Christopher Fachini 118
SiTE:LAB + Premier SKaTE:LAB Mixed Media \ Time Based Finding and repurposing spaces…two things in common between skateboarders and the SiTE:LAB team. We have teamed up for a third collaboration with Premier Skateboarding to re-imagine the basement space of the historic Morton Hotel. We are also working with our longtime technology partners Vizidef Display Technology.
“We’re moving and life pushes us in all kinds of directions. Maybe you can guide it a little bit. Try to go left. Try to go right. ... On the way there, you go and explore. You explore yourself. You explore your environment and surroundings, people you are sharing time with, that affects me, basically changes me, all that input.” Hubert Dobler Graem Whyte The Garden of Future Dreams Mixed Media \ Installation For ArtPrize this year Graem is excited to be with SiTE:LAB once again. Joining them at the historic Morton Hotel on Monroe Center. Graem has produced a multimedia installation featuring a sculptural mini venue for a performance by the Tzarinas of the Plane including a digital projection. Graem Whyte is a sculptor born and raised in metro Detroit, currently based in Hamtramck, MI. His career started in the field of architecture, later shifted to fine art, and now hybridizes both disciplines. In 2004, Whyte created the one night only weekly art showcase, This Week In Art, at Motor City Brewing Works, which continues to the present. In 2007 Whyte and his wife, Faina Lerman, founded the experimental art venue Popps Packing in Hamtramck. Currently, Whyte is working on Squash House, (the conversion of an abandoned house in Detroit into a squash court and community squash garden) and Popps Emporium (the reinvention of a long vacant storefront into a trading post and community hub). His work utilizes a wide array of materials and often combines mythology, architecture, Chewbacca, the landscape, and patterns of mathematics and nature with a wry sense of humor.
“[Projects] like this are really easy to do if you’re willing to work 24/7, if you’re into that sort of thing…” Paul Amenta 119
Book Design and Production: Concept/Design/Photo Collaboration: Kate Folkert, Tom Wagner Words/Editor: Rachel Neva Contributors: Stephen Halko, Johnathan D. Lopez, Erica Morowski, Jordan Parham, Aaron Porter, Lou Schakel, Jim Winslow Printing made possible by the generous support of Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University (KCAD).
Exhibition Contributors: SiTE:LAB Founders: Paul Amenta and Tom Clinton Show Curator: Paul Amenta
SiTE:LAB Crew: Naomi Brown-Smith, Grant Carmichael, Gayle DeBruyn, Sara Fall, Eric Kuhn, Sara Molina, Rachel Neva, Michael Peoples, Bob Rogers, Andrea Sisson, Kristin Underhill, Tom Wagner SPECIAL THANKS: Laura Amenta, Brandon Alman, James Balkon, Jessica Benson, Eric Blanding, Lynn Bravender, Zoe Carmichael, Gayle DeBruyn, Gerald DePersia, Matt Fulk, Chris Gray, Stephen Halko, Jacob Hanson, Josh Higginson, Darlene Kaczmarczyk, Jonathan D. Lopez, Alex Meiser, Jeffrey Muskovin, Emily Nagy, Erin Overmeyer, Jordan Parham, Natasha Peoples, Andy Poole, Aaron Porter, Tom Simmons, Eric Schroeder, Lou Schakel, Teddy Seeley, Caleb Sobie, Matt Sobie, Marcel Thibert, Seth Thompson, Corey Valdez, Cory VanderZwaag, Jordan Verburg, John Wiegand, Jim Winslow
Photography Installations within building: Mark Andrus, Jaclyn Clark, Johannes V.H. Frey & Rebecca L. Thompson, Leah M. Gose, Darlene Kaczmarczyk, Brandon Lake, Jonathan D. Lopez, Steve Nelson, Jordan Parham
SiTE:LAB @ The Morton was made possible through the support of: Herman Miller Cares, Rockford Construction, Edward Jones, BarFly Ventures
In Kind Sponsors: Gelo, GR Makers, Mutually Human, LiveSpace, Citizenshirt, Vizidef Display Technology
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volunteers: Alicia Arney Mary Aune Derk Baartman Jennifer Baker Toni Bal Carol Balkon Aaron Bannasch Bianca Bova Abbey Bradley Viola Braxmaier Janay Brower Aaron and Naomi Brown-Smith Annamarie Buller Jodie Bultman Larry Byle Heidi Camp Erik Chapman Calli Crow Linnea and Ryan DeRoche Family Michelle Donk Brian Dougherty Metta Dwyer Jen Fong Judith Gilland Jacob Hanson Debra Hartman
Joanne Hoekstra David Herrara Kim Humphrey Susan Kime Stewart Johathon Kloote Kathy and Terry Kuhn Karen Lawrence Glenn Lemieux, Jen Neumann and Family Mike and Aloise Lewakowski Mark Lewis Daniel Mansel Wendy and Omar Marty Kim McDaniel Jeff Meeuwsen David Middleton Albert Molina Julian Molina Cathy Mueller Megan Murray Tyler Nall Paul Newton John O’Connor Jim O’Connor Christine O’Connor Will and Tasha Oltman Jeff Owens
Lisa Palczewski Michelle Pappas Connie Peoples Natasha Peoples Gail Quinn Emily Ray Jim Rekucki Donna Reynolds Ande Roeser Gail Ann Ruggeri Eric Schroeder Amanda Sherman Jim Starkey Caryn Stetson Amanda Stewart Donna Stine Amber Stout Julie Swanson William Tamburello Amy Thome Kelly Vannette Emily VanRooy Christine Wassenaar Dee Wilson Stephanie Wooster Angi Zamarippa
+ Volunteers from Habitat for Humanity of Kent County, Herman Miller, Nucraft Furniture Company and GRCC
Designed and Published by Storming the Castle Pictures, Wagner/Folkert Productions, Grand Rapids, MI, USA © 2014 Folkert/Neva/Wagner, all rights reserved. All rights reserved, all moral rights asserted. No part of this publication may be stored, reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publishers. www.stormingthecastlepictures.com All photographs © 2014 Tom Wagner Contact address: Kendall College of Art and Design, 17 Fountain St. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 First Printing, 2014 | To order additional copies of this book go to www.blurb.com, search keyword SiTE:LAB
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What the Jurors had to say about SiTE:LAB’s 2014 Juried Award Winners: “I want to say congratulations to the curators for a really fantastic show.” “Working with an unused building is a challenge. It’s not just about putting art on the wall… Each floor felt like the curators had thought really specific[ally] about what this work is supposed to do and how it would impact an audience.” Venue Juror Tumelo Mosaka, Independent Curator, New Jersey about SiTE:LAB
“It was just breathtaking.” “What I really loved about Julie’s work was interacting with the piece when you walk into the space where it is… It seems monumental.” Installation Juror Ariel Saldivar, Independent Curator, Dallas, TX about “Symptomatic Constant” by Julie Schenkelberg
“The dancing…really was responding to the space. I think it really got to the essence of what performance and dance is, which is a body moving in space and then responding to that.” “…a really powerful way to experience a building yet again…remembering its history while it prepares for becoming something totally different.” Time-Based Juror Hrag Vartanian, Co-founder, Editor-in-Chief of Hyperallergic about “respirador (breather)” by Dance In the Annex (DITA)