The College of Charleston in Charleston, SC, is presenting, Cry Joy Park: Gardens of Dark and Light, featuring work by Jennifer Wen Ma, on view at The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, through July 6, 2019, part of the 2019 Piccolo Spoleto Festival.
“The exhibition is an investigation into the construct of a utopia, inspired by the history of Charleston, South Carolina, a cultural and artistic capital of the American South, and an exemplar of its opulence and beauty. This installation aims to present both an alluring, gorgeous and otherworldly garden, and its darker counterpart. The worlds created by the exhibition, is a juxtaposition of utopia and dystopia, and is presented via an immersive sensory experience that utilizes various forms of communication to convey its message.” Taken from the Halsey Institute’s press release.
I visited the exhibition on May 21, 2019, the same day I would attend the #Stopthebans rally, presented by Planned Parenthood and other woman’s groups at Brittlebank Park on the Ashley River in Charleston. I had lunch with a group of political activist at noon and I had time between 2-6pm when the rally would start. Others at the lunch would be going on to the rally too – a few went to the beach, one when home and I went to downtown Charleston to see an art installation. After all, that’s my day job at Carolina Arts.
A lot of folks try to tell me politics and the arts shouldn’t mix, but I just laugh at them thinking, how naive – politics and the arts have walked hand in hand since their beginnings. I’m sure there was someone telling an artist, “You put too many antelopes on the wall of the cave – there need to be more mastodons and I’m not giving you the secret of fire until you change it.” So when you’re talking about Dark and Light in contrast, you’re talking politics.
While I was there at the Halsey Institute, which was hardly recognizable, as the entire space had been transformed, I didn’t catch some of the artist’s intended messages, they probably went over my head, but I was amazed at the environment the artist, her assistants, students and community volunteers created. I also didn’t catch or remember any sounds or projected video elements to create a rich multimedia experience which were mentioned in the press release we printed from the Halsey Institute, but I’ll admit I was blown away with the visual details of the installation. That’s not unusual with me, having several senses shut down and highlighting others. So, I can’t say for sure if they were there or not. But I can tell you, what you’ll see there is an amazing amount of work and detail. I doubt the photos I took and are presenting here do justice to the real thing. This is a must see installation, one that you haven’t seen anything like it in Charleston before and probably won’t for some time.
The Halsey Institute is also planning to offer many interdisciplinary performances in collaboration with the College’s Music, Dance and Theatre departments as well as community dinners which will feature guided conversation on specific themes related to the exhibition such as social justice, religious tolerance, and gentrification. For details on these events call the Institute at 843/953-4422 or visit (halsey.cofc.edu).
None of that was going on while I was there but I had to see this installation when I could and see it early if I was to write something about it for people to read and respond to.
Jennifer Wen Ma (b. 1973, Beijing) moved to the United States in 1986 and graduated with an MFA in 1999 from the Pratt Institute. Her practice draws together elements and cultural references in sensitive and unexpected ways, bridging such diverse media as installation, drawing, video, public art, design, performance, and theater. Trained as an oil painter, Ma was one of seven members of the core creative team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and received an Emmy Award for their broadcast. Since then, she has increasingly delved into the material and philosophical qualities of the Chinese ink tradition. Her work has been shown around the world.
This installation was part of the visual art offerings during the Piccolo Spoleto Festival , not the Spoleto Festival USA. Why that is I’ll never understand. Spoleto has given up on producing or presenting visual arts as part of its festival (due to politics and money is my guess), but exhibits presented at the Halsey Institute in the past have been offered as Spoleto events , much like those at the Gibbes Museum of Art. I wonder if it all doesn’t have to do with money – money not paid to Spoleto or money not paid to the Halsey Institute, but I’m sure the details are all above my pay grade. My job is just to keep you informed as to what’s available to see each month, and I wouldn’t miss Cry Joy Park: Gardens of Dark and Light, whether you’re in town for the Spoleto Festival or just enjoying the offerings of the Piccolo Spoleto Festival.
But, if you do go, don’t forget that just a block away further down Calhoun Street at Marion Square Park you’ll find the Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Juried Exhibition featuring works by almost 70 of South Carolina’s finest artists, just waiting for you to come visit, and if you are there on the weekend of May 31 – June 2, you can also catch the Piccolo Spoleto Crafts Show at Wragg Square just north of Marion Square Park.
Of course while I was there at the Halsey Institute I took a few photos of works hanging out in the hallway exhibit space by C of C students and one of a work by William Halsey, the man the Institute is named after.
Willian Halsey, “Untitled (Night Fires)” 1986, oil and textile on panel, On loan from Ann Long Fine Art, courtesy of Louise Halsey
Work by Caitey Ronan
Work by Madeline Centracchio
Work by Amber Vasquez
Work by Anna Newell
And I had to include this for the poor photographers. These photos were placed on a wall facing glass windows,
many of the photos were behind behind glass, so that the reflections were bouncing all over the place and you
can see what the afternoon sun is doing. Photography – will it always be the stepchild of the arts?