This Friday night in Jamaica Plain, multimedia performance space Spectacle will transform for the third installment of All Visual Boston, a one-night art show that will merge a digital slideshow of photographic work with a performance by local experimental musical duo Tooms. In their darkened room, Spectacle will display pieces by more than 40 local, national, and international artists, the end result being almost like watching a film.Presented by Aviary Gallery, the slideshow features new work by Mexican artist Fabiola Menchelli, photos from the archives of Eric Ruby, and pieces by local artist Ryan Arthurs (who'll have a solo exhibition of new work at Aviary this February). All Visual Boston is organized by Aviary's Lindsay Metivier, co-juried by artist Quinn Gorbutt, and hosted by Ricardo De Lima of Spectacle.
"The slideshow format allows us to show works from a lot more people from a variety of places and to do so in an environment that is all about seeing and looking," wrote Metivier and Gorbutt in an email. "The slideshow is a one-time thing, so it becomes more about the experience of looking at different images than about prints or objects. Ideas can circulate more fluidly, and it physically brings together artists and allows conversations to happen."
Having an experimental music group accompany the slideshow is an integral aspect of the installation, as it "gives the event a different ambiance than what we get at openings at the gallery where works are mounted, framed, and installed in a stationary manner," wrote the organizers. "They are both excellent formats for viewing work, just different. The slideshow is a little looser, a little more open, and allows us to experiment with the way images relate to one another in sequence."
Ultimately, the most gratifying element of this sort of installation is the way it gathers artists for a one-off community-centric event.
"Really, the most exciting thing about it is seeing the participants come together and meet each other," wrote Metivier and Gorbutt. "It's another way of building a supportive arts community."
ALL VISUAL BOSTON @ SPECTACLE, 128 Brookside Ave, Jamaica Plain :: January 11 from 8 to 11 pm :: $5 suggested donation
VISIT ALLVISUALBOSTON.TUMBLR.COM FOR A FULL LIST OF PARTICIPATING ARTISTS AND INFO ON FUTURE EVENTS
