Exhibition

BFA Visual & Critical Studies is pleased to present “How Much Does It Hurt?,” a thesis exhibition by its graduating class of 2022, curated by Grayson Cox and Paloma Crousillat. The exhibition runs from Wednesday, January 19 through Monday, February 7 in the Flatiron Gallery, Flatiron Windows and the Flatiron Project Space.

Featuring the work of CJ Anasoulis, Hank Bhatia, James Bowles, Catherine Brothers, Vilma Clausen, Adi Dahlke, Nia Del Pino, Emiri Fujimoto, Julianna Ham, Kyra Husbands, Donghyun Park, Samantha Su, Noelani Tomicick, Ryan Woo and Yiran Xu.

Curator's statement:

On view during the Omicron chapter of the pandemic, “How Much Does It Hurt?” addresses the current moment through the lens of artistic practice. As curators, we have witnessed these artists search for agency in the production, presentation, and representation of their own work. Each one of them has worked diligently - stubbornly - through the deranged confusion of the past two years. They find themselves constrained by the limitations of our current reality, forced to respond to the moment, while attempting to protect the autonomy of their work. Their labor, and their products, reflect the chaos of this moment. As curators, we are careful not to project meaning with our words. This is only the first stop for these new artifacts, which will live beyond this show, in a multitude of contexts and environments and with different levels of audience engagement.

In “How Much Does It Hurt?” the artworks are determined by the artists’ drive to produce a show that connects with a faceless audience. The doors are locked. A ‘QR’ code is required for entry. Security denies access. Everything about this scenario challenges connection and experience.

And yet, the work is stoically staged to reward the curious among us. The exhibition strives for the theatrical, physical, and interactive, a manifestation of serious play through material gesture. 

As the viewer stands on the sidewalk outside the galleries, separated, gazing through yet another screen, the romantic possibility of the alienated (and masked) viewer finding connection with the artist, through the game of marks and gestures, begins to develop. A glimmer of possibility, the end of an era, a way in or out. Painful, and yet, pleasurable. We witness the seriousness of their play and it is devastating. How much does it hurt?

The SVA Flatiron Gallery is open Monday through Friday, from 10:00am to 6:00pm, and closed on Saturdays and Sundays. In accordance with SVA COVID-19 protocols, in- person viewing is restricted to SVA students, faculty and staff.