In a typical art exhibition, the body is reduced to an eye-brain. The arms and legs slow down, the mouth closes, the voice box shuts off. What’s in the head does all the work. But the artists at Western Bridge this summer address the entire body. Demon Hill, by Julian Hoeber, is an interior room set at an odd angle, throwing off every move—can you think straight when straight is askew? Skyspace Bouncehouse, by Mungo Thomson, is an actual bouncy house—just take off your shoes and you’re on—with a cutout at the top, in a takeoff on the straight-faced Skyspaces of Western transcendentalist James Turrell. A blinding-white neon chamber by Carsten Höller is entrancing/entrapping. Feel it with your everything. (Western Bridge, 3412 Fourth Ave S, 838-7444, noon–6 pm, free)
Jen Graves (The Stranger’s former arts critic) mostly writes about things you approach with your eyeballs. But she’s also a history nerd interested in anything that needs more talking about, from male... More by Jen Graves
Or you could be making real art at the Fremont Powerhouse at 3940 Fremont Ave N for one of the Solstice Parade and Pageant ensembles …
I love it when you can touch, feel, and manipulate the art. It’s always disappointing to see a work of art, especially kinetic or sculptural, that’s mean to be touched but it’s behind glass, out of reach, or locked away.
The Trimpin show a few years back was that way- all these colorful, fun machines that begged to be played but one wasn’t allowed to touch.
When the Ganzfield exhibit was at the Henry I went to see it twice, and spent hours wandering all through it.