The Annual 2017: The Shortest Distance Between Two Points

Exhibition on view: September 8-28, 2017

Opening reception: Friday, September 8, 6-9pm

Euclidean Geometry is based on the precept that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. An elegant and comprehensive geometry unfolds with that supposition in mind, a geometry whose logic yields other shapes and relationships, surfacing by way of conclusion in material architectures, cities, and regulatory bureaucracies that society navigates daily as a matter of course. Implicit in this inherited approach, however, is the premise that space itself is stable, flat, and consistent. What if we propose that space itself is curved? For a plane crossing from one part of the world to another, for instance, the arc is its most direct route. If space bends, an entirely other logic presents itself, realizing an alternate field of potential. The Shortest Distance Between Two Points explores the relationship between logic, geometry, and the social actions that unfold, react, or resist therein.

The ANNUAL is supported in part by The ANNUAL Council, a diverse group of professionals committed to helping visual artists thrive in Chicago. 2017 Annual Council Members: Ian Gray, Joshua Herrington, Shannon Downe, Robin Gallardi, Ashley Galloway, Browne Goodwin, Susan Lyons, Tommy Miller, Kathleen Rapp, Hunt Tackbary, and Christine Tsuchida.

A Curator's Tour with Caroline Picard takes place Wednesday, September 27, 6-7 PM

Betsy Odom, LZR Suit, 2015, leather and paint, 20 x 18 x 12". Photo courtesy of the artist and CAC.