Exhibition from April 8th – May 6th 2009.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Megan Rook-Koepsel
Email: meganrk at umd.edu
Phone: 301.314.8493
Hi-Res Images available upon request
HERE/THERE is an exhibition of work by Washington D.C. artist Ding Ren curated by Megan Rook-Koepsel and Jennifer Quick.
Exhibition from April 8th – May 6th 2009.
College Park, MD—The Stamp Gallery is pleased to present its next exhibition HERE/THERE, a solo show featuring work by emerging artist Ding Ren. Ding Ren has said “I believe in the potential of refusals, of thinking small and taking a step back to notice and reflect upon the in-between, barely there moments, no matter how fleeting they may be.” HERE/THERE is an exploration of those spaces and moments that are liminal and ‘barely there,’ those that bridge the gaps between “here” and “there.” Ren’s work captures these moments visually and conceptually, compelling us to consider their incredible potential and impact on our lives. Her visual and performative pursuits, in her words, “teeter towards inaction and nothingness by creating temporary interventions in environments.”
Ren uses the concepts of the line and silence, among others, to explore those ‘barely there moments.’ A line, like silence, is seemingly uncomplicated and monotonous. Yet the near-nothingness of both line and silence give way to a myriad of possibilities (a line of thought, a designation of space, a nascent drawing, a musical note). Both allow us to concentrate on what could be – the potential inherent in a line, the anticipation elicited by silence – rather than the things themselves. Ren’s work reminds us to consider the potential impact of the near-nothings and in-betweens of our lives.
This pursuit is nearly impossible for many of us, as we live in world where we are always connected, always in communication, always on the go, trying to reach ‘here’ or ‘there.’ In an era in which noise, action, and grandiosity are the norms, Ren’s work resonates all the more, presenting us with the opportunity to explore the possibilities inherent in the sounds and textures of the “somethings that come very close to nothings.”
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