Swoon

The idea of this exhibition is to highlight activism born in youth, made with materials close by and in surroundings that formed the artist's "world." We focus on the humanity of artists in their unique contexts and the beauty of their artworks. This is less trodden ground than "disaffection" and thus far has been left out of the curatorial conversation.

Artists in the exhibition are Shepard Fairey, Nadya Tolokonnikova, Douglas Miles, Swoon, and Clarence Heyward. Although from different backgrounds, all these artists began their practices in the streets, have their roots in youth, and are likewise still in the middle part of their stories. What do artists do with that weight?

Caledonia Curry, known to her friends as Callie and to the art world as Swoon, has transformed Container into an open and meditative environment featuring a number of her large-scale sculptural installations as well as her first stop-motion animation video. Beyond these individual objects, the artist is interested in establishing spaces of empathy with a compassionate eye toward greater understanding and creating positive impact in the lives of her audiences. In Seven Contemplations, the artist infuses often difficult aspects of her personal journey with a spirit of generosity to offer a model of how pushing through the discomfort of challenges may lead toward healing. This exhibition includes major parts of the original exhibition at the Albright-Knox Gallery in 2020.