UPTOWN — An art exhibit opening Friday in Uptown titled "Gravity" delves into "the situations in our lives that carry great weight."
The show, running from Friday through Oct. 10, will reside at one of three locations for Flats Studio, an arts venture of real estate brand Flats Chicago. "Gravity" will be housed in a more than 100-year-old building Flats owns at 1050 W. Wilson Ave. that was a vaudeville theater and a bank in past lives.
Featured Chicago artist Audra Jacot, the woman behind the "penis art" shown inside Flats founder Jay Michael's apartment on reality TV show "100 Days of Summer" earlier this year, will curate the exhibition.
Jacot said in a statement that the show addresses "many different aspects of gravity," and described three pieces as examples that "in particular, inform the physical nature of gravity as well as the situations in our lives that carry great weight."
"The Burghers of El Rayo," a sculptural work by Rodrigo Lara featuring figurines of altar boys clutching swords, was inspired by his years as a young altar boy in Mexico and "relates death to something playful from his childhood."
"He’d use human bones to play swords with his older brother in the crypt of his church," Jacot said. "It is beautifully morbid."
"Gentropy," a sculpture and accompanying video sculpture by artist Edward Muela, explores "the insecurities of unplanned (and possibly unwanted) pregnancies."
"It represents of the fear and catharsis of childbirth and abortion," Jacot said. "The accompanying video sculpture represents the contradiction of the his own feelings about childbirth in comparison to that of his parents, who decided to keep him. Watching the clay continuously decay and recreate gives a sense of delicate horror."
Jacot described her piece "Pervert," a red neon sign, as a "site-specific installation located inside the bank vault of our gallery space."
"The red neon deals with the relationship between shame and sin," she said. "The piece is locked away behind bars in a 'safe' place, yet it is still on display for people to gawk at. It exudes such bright, commanding light which emphasizes the drama between empowerment and vulnerability."
The show can be viewed by appointment at 1050 W. Wilson Ave.Opening night, featuring free drinks, is scheduled from 5-9 p.m. Friday.
To reserve a spot at the opening, email rsvp@flatschicago.com.
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