Event 2: Ellie Joteva's "Mnemoawari"

Ellie Joteva's "Menemoawari" was quite possibly the best art exhibit I've ever attended. 

Ellie's project consisted of three ice balls, approximately the size of standard classroom globes. Each one contained various natural objects frozen inside. One globe was constructed of desert materials: sand, wildflowers in bloom, leaves. Another was constructed entirely from a bush outside Ellie's home, mostly beautiful flowers. The last was reminiscent of a forrest floor, with bark, old leaves, and mushrooms from Linda Weintraub's exhibit. These three balls were hung over bowls that collected the water of the melting spheres as the three days passed. The exhibit incorporated sound via one bowl that was connected to some form of a speaker. As a water drop fell from the melting cryo sculpture, the sound would echo throughout the large, open exhibition space. In addition, Ellie incorporated virtual reality from a camera perspective taking place inside one of the cryo balls. Lastly, there was a large, wall-size projection of each cryo sculpture's original form in the main room. These were absolutely stunning to look at, and reminded me personally of being in outer space, almost like each projection was a planet.

Ellie's project left me absolutely stunned. It combined every sense, and really turned the natural world around us (one that we often take for granted) into art in such a unique way. The exhibit reminded me of this class in the sense that we are constantly talking about seeing art on both the biggest level possible (human expression, changes over the ages, technological advancements) and the smallest (lab rats, minuscule tattoos, and art via E. coli.). Her incorporation of the virtual reality allowed for experiencing her art in an entirely new way, something that would've been impossible just a few years ago, but her use of natural materials like wood, mushrooms, and ice kept the art grounded (literally).

This art so profoundly impacted me that I am heavily considering using Ellie in my final project in some way. While her exhibit is no longer being shown, I've included many pictures from the event and would highly recommend checking out her Instagram, @joteva.

 All pictures taken by Jennifer Merritt (2017); all art exhibit material courtesy of E. Joteva and UCLA MFA DMA. Proof of attendance: