Counterspells is a digital exhibition featuring new and re-imagined work by the 16th cohort of Kresge Artist Fellows and Gilda Award recipients.
All around us, unseen and wild energies are deeply felt. How we choose to listen to, summon, harness, or even resist these resonances are at the core of the Counterspells exhibition. Energy in its myriad forms is abundant in the artists’ work included within. It vibrates, echoes, weaves, skips—and sometimes even falters, with great purpose.
These counterspells are uniquely personal forms of tactical magic, rooted in forms of cooperative action, rebellion, reflection, and deflection. As you explore this exhibition, consider the vibrant ways in which artists engage with their practices in connection with this theme. The work may be quiet or it may be loud, but it is always transformative—resisting stasis.
In spring 2024, Kresge Arts in Detroit opened its first online exhibition featuring new and re-imagined work by the 15th cohort of Kresge Artist Fellows and Gilda Award recipients.
The exhibition theme “Flash Your Lights” was inspired by 1970s Detroit radio DJ, Electrifying Mojo. Each night, he asked listeners to imagine futures of peace and revolution united by sound, and to collectively “flash their lights” to demonstrate they were listening in solidarity. The fellows and Gilda Award recipients explored how sound surfaces in their practice using pairing audio-visual elements with their paintings, creative writing, book art, poetry, ceramics, photography, sculptures and more.
The exhibition closed June 14, 2024.
Curated by Kristen Gallerneaux
Website by Echo Charlie