If you haven’t seen Open Doors Collective’s recent exhibition doubly known as In Between and my pride and joy, make it a point to visit the Dougherty Arts Center in Austin, Texas before it closes Feb. 28th. The DAC is located at 1110 Barton Springs Rd.

DELETE! has arrived

Airline adversity and luggage loss claimed Christoph Steinbrener and Rainer Dempf’s work intended for the exhibition leaving many at the opening reception thirsty for a peek.

But now, thanks to the internet and easy-to-send digital files, In Between includes the DELETE! project’s documentary film and accompanying photographs. New proposals for similar projects in NYC and Japan are also exhibited. This is the United States premier of the 9-minute documentary film by Erwin Wagenhofer, director of 2005’s We Feed the World, so be sure to drop by the space and catch it before its gone.

How’d we do?

The reviews have been decidedly positive and appropriately critical for an exhibition in which we opened our work up for direct public discussion. As a collective we presented still solidifying ideas, our minds brimming with potential expressions. I say, keep the feedback coming!

“This is a time (sometimes months to years) filled with tension and crisis, ultimately arriving at a new beginning. The resultant works are seminal and distinguished. Composed of projects, maquettes, proposals, and large-scale installations, the exhibition “In Between” provides the viewer with a rare opportunity to interact with the ideas that inform the exhibited works.”
Benné Rockett, Austin Chronicle Read the rest…

“If I had to choose one of Open Doors’s proposed projects for realization, it would be Hunter Cross’s trophy-covered stairway. The once coveted, but now discarded, golden statuettes transform a mundane feature of our everyday experience into a symbol of forgotten dreams. A trophy-encrusted arch is available as well, but like many of the projects featured in this exhibition, the arch’s final destination remains unclear.”
Amanda Douberley, GlassTire Read the rest…

“These guys have taken the art to masses. As a way to prepare for the big show in the Big D, Open Doors is opening a discussion about their work in general and are soliciting support for their work specifically. It’s not a bad way of doing business, as long as you do right….As a show about revealing process and image creation, there was a let-down. I had envisioned a pile of sketches, multiple deviants of the proposed installation, I wanted to sneek a peek into their brains. The possibility of seeing what might be in store from this group, beyond what they are working on for the Contemporary, that is what I wanted to see….NOT BAD.”
Jaime Castillo, ‘Bout What I Sees Read the rest…

Whether knowingly or not, our audience’s interaction and discussion gave us personal insight sure to strengthen our installations at the Dallas Center for Contemporary Art. However, it is clear to me now that we should have been more explicit with each exhibited project’s connection to the 2007 exhibition in Dallas. Additionally, more extensive writing about our ideas, or the inclusion of more sketches may have given our audience better access to these liminal works and provided even better discussion opportunities. What do you think? For those who dared to suggest, I thank you.

tags: art, austin, installation, sculpture, delete

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Wednesday, February 22nd, 2006 at 6:48 pm

topic: art