The latest exhibit in Stamp Student Union’s Gallery, “Lights off at 8 pm,” invokes the beauty of memory and embraces cultural differences.
The installation showcases the work of multidisciplinary artists through film, interactive pieces and visual art. Their pieces explore memory in a multi-faceted way, provoking self-reflection from the viewer.
Art history graduate student Júlia Sodré helped curate the collection and said her intentions were to center on the idea of “memory as fiction,”3 bringing together a group of artists to do so.
“My hope is that [students] can learn … what the artists of their local region are doing,” she said.
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One striking painting by artist Lolo Gem, “The Human Mind Can Stand Just So Much,” is a jumble of bright colors, cartoon references and classic comic book-inspired drawings. This style can be some people’s first exposure to art at a young age, Gem explained.
She said her pieces are a reminder that “we’re all doing this together” — an exploration of nostalgic comforts amid the chaos of adult life. Gem hopes her work encourages her audience to pause and reflect on their own feelings.
“I know that the feelings I’m putting in it are universal,” she said.
Similarly, artist Jiangshengyu Nova Pan’s film “like, don’t know which word will blurt out next.” incorporates her experience migrating across the world as a young adult. The premise follows two actors — one being the artist — through a conversation about their struggles with transformation and embracing difficult changes.
Projected onto the gallery wall, the black and white film follows two actors spending time together over food and wine as they discuss entering a new phase of life. They reveal challenges and find comfort in their joint experiences. The film portrays their struggle to verbally communicate as a symbol of cultural immersion barriers.
Originally from the southern Chinese city Hangzhou, Nova Pan said she gained a greater sense of the world through her travels. Her focus on depicting migration as a means for people to unite and accept differences shines in the work.
A notable moment in the piece is when the characters discuss their living arrangements. They both differ in their preference of having a roommate, representing their adaptation to migration.
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“If you see the world more … you will start to embrace the differences more than confront why we are so different,” she said.
College students often have similar feelings of transition. Cultivating a sense of self, expanding horizons and growing by embracing new experiences are all results of overcoming the challenges of transformation in life.
“My hope is that the students could come here, [and] have some moments of reflection, either learning about other people’s experiences … or finding a sense of community,” Sodré said.“Lights off at 8pm,” is more than an opportunity to observe phenomenal artwork. It’s also a space for self-reflection. The exhibit is open until Oct. 11.
