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ICA Creates Art Hotline For Those With Zoom Fatigue

Greta Timmins | September 15, 2020

Topics: 1-844-NOT-Z00M, Amber Esseiva, Annie Bielski, Autumn Knight, Kenneka Cook, Kevin Simmons, Taylor Simone, VCU ICA, VCU’s Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA), Zoom meetings

Sick of endless online meetings and video chats? VCU’s Institute of Contemporary Art has an artistic solution for you. Just dial 1-844-NOT-Z00M.

For those who might be struggling with digital fatigue during a time when many daily activities have been sent online, the Institute for Contemporary Art has a solution: 1-844-NOT-Z00M.

This new project is a hotline that allows audience members to dial in from wherever they are to hear a range of auditory art, ranging from poems to songs.

Associate Curator Amber Esseiva worked on the project, which came about originally in the early days of quarantine, when the ICA was figuring out how to continue programming safely.

“We were doing a rapid transition into a lot of Zoom calls, and a lot of Zoom interviews,” Esseiva said. “I think a lot of institutions, particularly art institutions, were thinking about how to engage with their audience creatively, and I think a lot of time the engagement just took the form of in-person talks — but on Zoom.”

Esseiva found that those Zoom talks took a lot of effort from the audience, who would have to carve out several hours from their day.

“We were thinking about how we could continue the spirit of our commissioning program at the ICA, but do it in a way that engaged the audience but didn’t ask too much of them,” Esseiva said. “That actually gave them something, at a time when there was a lot of burnout.”

The first volume of 1-844-NOT-Z00M was thought of as a pilot phase, and the ICA invited six people to participate. These eventually filled out what would become the first two volumes, with three artists participating in each.

Kenneka Cook. Photo via Facebook.

The ICA sought to recruit a broad range of participants, ranging from visual artists to poets and musicians. One benefit of the dial-in format was that artists across the country and even the world were able to participate, such as Kevin Simmons, who is based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

“He gave us an incredible recording with his mom in a nursing home at a time when he just couldn’t visit her,” Esseiva said. “It was just this beautiful, tender and important contribution.”

The project also developed from a wider goal of the ICA, which was to look at the idea of public study and art.

“What does it mean to be in conversation and research with artists, and with the public at the same time?” Esseiva said. “This became a way to ask artists to show us what they’re working on to audience members early on — and everyone has access to it if you have a phone.”

Esseiva and her colleagues drew inspiration for this idea from other artistic projects created in previous eras.

“There’s a lot of historical predecessors to this,” Esseiva said. “There was an artist in the 1960s, John Giorno, who made a program called Dial-a-Poem, that was Beat poets who were creating poems people could call in to listen to.”

Currently, dialing 1-844-NOT-Z00M will allow you to hear Volume 2, featuring contributions from New Mexico-based artist Annie Bielski, Richmond musician Kenneka Cook, and graphic artist/writer Taylor Simone, who received her MFA from VCU and now teaches at Bowling Green State University. Autumn Knight, an artist who works with text, performance, and installation, provides the sardonic voice of the operator, offering a menu of extensions that is an art form in itself.

Annie Bielski. Photo by Hope Mora.

The current volume will remain in place through the end of the month, and there will be another seven volumes over the next seven months. However, the project could extend past that.

“A great thing that has been happening is that we’re inviting people to submit whatever they want,” Esseiva said.  

Esseiva aims to continue to recruit a wide range of artists from across the globe.

“We hope to keep having that breadth of offerings, So there’s no regional specificity at all,” Esseiva said. “That’s the beauty of the dial-in service; we don’t have time zones, and anybody can contribute.”

Top Image via VCU Institute of Contemporary Art

Get Culture, Not COVID

Laura Drummond | September 9, 2020

Topics: Institute for Contemporary art VCU, Richmond galleries, Richmond museums, Science Museum Of Virginia, The Valentine, VCU ICA, Virginia Museum Of History & Culture

Looking to get out of the house without getting sick? Skip the bars and head to the museums for a safer change of scenery.

Museums around Richmond are starting to reopen with new, advanced safety protocols. As cultural landmarks, these spaces provide opportunities for education, community engagement, and enrichment. There are a number of new and ongoing exhibitions, each offering a safe way for the whole family to have fun while experiencing something out of the ordinary. Museums add to the vibrancy of the city, and their reopening brings hope in the face of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

The museums in the area have implemented face mask requirements, capacity reductions to allow for social distancing, hand sanitizer stations, alterations to hands-on exhibits, and expanded cleaning requirements. Before your visit, be sure to check the individual museum’s website for reopening policies, up-to-date operating hours, and other admission information. 

Photo: Arizona Science Center, via Science Museum of Virginia

Science Museum of Virginia
2500 West Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23220
Open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
www.smv.org

The Science Museum of Virginia reopened its doors to the public on September 5. Now through November 1, visitors of all ages can explore the Giant Insects exhibition, which includes six robotic insects ranging from 11 to 22 feet tall — 40 to 120 times larger than their actual size. Insects from around the world are on display in large-scale, robotic form so that viewers can get an up-close view of how the real insects — the Atlas beetle, jungle nymph stick insect, caterpillar, desert locust, and praying mantis — behave in the wild. 

Access to the Giant Insects exhibition is included in the cost of museum admission. 

Photo: Alicia Díaz

Institute for Contemporary Art 
Virginia Commonwealth University
601 West Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23220
Open Friday—Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 
icavcu.org

On September 12, the Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University will reopen its galleries and present Commonwealth, a new indoor/outdoor exhibition. Commonwealth “explores how our common resources are used to influence the wealth and well-being of our communities,” according to the ICA.

This exhibition is the result of a years-long collaboration between the ICA and two other organizations, Philadelphia Contemporary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Beta-Local in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Exploring the concept of “commonwealth” in these three locations through writing, image-making, performance, gardening, and other forms of cultural expression, the exhibition “offers paths to understanding both the unequal structures that shape our lived realities and ways that people might come together to make the world more equitable,” according to the ICA. It features the work of artists Firelei Báez, Carolina Caycedo, Duron Chavis, Alicia Díaz, Sharon Hayes, Tanya Lukin Linklater, Nelson Rivera, Monica Rodriguez, and The Conciliation Project (TCP). 

Timed tickets are free and should be reserved in advance. 

Photo by Jonah Schuhart

The Valentine
1015 East Clay Street 
Richmond, VA 23219
Open Tuesday—Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
thevalentine.org

Explore Richmond’s complicated and nuanced history through one of the current exhibitions at the Valentine. Its most recent exhibition, Ain’t Misbehavin’: 1920s Richmond, displays costumes, textiles, art, and artifacts from the Nathalie L. Klaus and Reynolds Family Galleries. Come for the 1920s fashion, stay for the look at the many ways in which Richmonders experienced that pivotal decade. 

Voices from Richmond’s Hidden Epidemic features oral histories of HIV/AIDS crisis survivors, caregivers, activists, and healthcare workers, collected by Laura Browder and Patricia Herrera. Compelling photographic portraits by Michael Simon accompany the stories. 

On view through November 8, #BallotBattle: Richmond’s Social Struggle for Suffrage imagines how Richmonders advocating for and against suffrage might have used social media to further their positions if Twitter and Facebook had been around 100 years ago. As this year marks the centennial of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, this exhibition provides a timely and accessible lens for viewing the struggle of suffrage. 

Free timed tickets must be reserved in advance. While the Wickham House and the Edward V. Valentine Sculpture Studio remain closed until further notice, the Valentine Garden, an historic greenspace, is open for visits before or after a self-guided gallery tour. 

In addition to seeing Richmond’s history on display at the Valentine, you can also have a participatory role. The Valentine has partnered with the Community Foundation for a greater Richmond for the 16th Richmond History Markers and Community Update. Now through October 28, you can nominate trailblazing individuals and organizations who are doing one of the following: creating quality educational opportunities, demonstrating innovative economic solutions, improving regional transportation, championing social justice, promoting community health, and advancing our quality of life. 

Virginia Museum of History and Culture
428 North Arthur Ashe Boulevard
Richmond, VA 23220
Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  
www.virginiahistory.org

The Virginia Museum of History and Culture is currently open for in-person visits, but it continues to offer experiences outside of its walls as well. Agents of Change: Female Activism in Virginia from Women’s Suffrage to Today is one current exhibition offering opportunities to enrich understanding in different formats. Like #BallotBattle at the Valentine, this exhibition honors the 100-year anniversary of the passage of the 19thAmendment. The in-person exhibition features artifacts of social and political activism, “highlighting the efforts and impact of a selection of female change-makers,” according to the VMHC. An online version of this exhibition is also available through September 27.

In addition, visitors can take a self-guided driving tour of locations around Richmond that were significant to the suffrage movement in Virginia, thanks to the League of Women Voters – Richmond Metro Area tour map. Furthermore, These Things Can Be Done is a documentary available on YouTube about suffrage in Virginia, featuring archival footage, photographs, oral histories, radio broadcasts, and interviews with historians, descendants of suffragists, and modern activists. 

The VMHC also has an outdoor exhibition at its front entrance. All In Together is a collaborative mural project with Virginia artists Hamilton Glass and Matt Lively. While physical distance remains important for the health and safety of the community, this exhibition allowed for Richmonders to connect from afar. Participants submitted completed coloring pages, and Glass and Lively assembled them to create murals at the VMHC and around the city. 

Timed tickets for indoor exhibitions must be purchased in advance. Admission includes access to all museum exhibitions. 

Photo via Children’s Museum of Richmond/Facebook

Children’s Museum of Richmond
2626 West Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23220
6629 Lake Harbour Drive
Midlothian, VA 23112
Open Thursday—Sunday; check website for hours. 
www.childrensmuseumofrichmond.org

The Children’s Museum of Richmond will reopen to the public on September 17 at both its Downtown and Chesterfield locations. For children through age 8, the Children’s Museum provides a wonderful opportunity to learn and play while getting a change of scenery. Families with video conferencing fatigue can get a break from screen time with all sorts of active and creative play options.

Kids can sharpen their observation skills with a new outdoor iSpy activity at the Downtown location or scale a new 18-foot tire climber at the Chesterfield location. They can also revisit old favorite activities at both locations, like making art in the Art Studio; practicing with coins, bills, and checks at the Bank; and repairing a car at the Service Station.

The Children’s Museum has created clearly marked paths for families to follow while inside in order to maintain social distancing, and has implemented new cleaning procedures. Some exhibits are temporarily closed. Visitors must reserve timed tickets online in advance.

Top Photo: Arizona Science Center, via Science Museum of Virginia

VA Shows You Must See This Week: May 8 – May 14

Marilyn Drew Necci | May 8, 2019

Topics: Among The Rocks And Roots, Bandito's, Bear's Den, Brian Markham, Cacophonous Pianos, Capital Ale House Music Hall, Dylan Languell, gallery 5, Gardener, Hampton Coliseum, Kristeva, Little River Creek Police, Margox, Murder By Death, Mystery Girl, Petrichor, Russ Waterhouse, Sarah Shook and the Disarmers, shows you must see, Sick Bags, Southside Stranglers, Steady Sounds, Suitcase Junket, The Broadberry, The Camel, Toast, Tool, Twin Drugs, Tyler Meacham, Uniform, VCU ICA, VCU Institute of Contemporary Art, Vera Sola, Wear Your Wounds, Zeal & Ardor

FEATURED SHOW
Friday, May 10, 4 PM
Saturday, May 11, 3 PM
Cacophonous Pianos at ICA, a sonic arrangement by Dylan Languell @ VCU Institute Of Contemporary Art – Free!

Summer’s coming, and as the saying goes, the living’s easy. It’s in the 80s pretty much every day lately, and who can complain about that? But you know us critics — such contrarians! Which is why I’m here to inform you that this week is all about difficult music. You know, the stuff that’s the opposite of “easy listening.” The stuff you have to think hard about to really follow; the stuff that, on first listen, kinda hurts your ears. As a dyed-in-the-wool metal nerd, I love shit like this — and not just when it’s black metal, either.

I also love it when it’s experimental music performed on piano. Or hey, why not a dozen pianos? Dylan Languell, a local artist, filmmaker, and VCU alum who is perhaps best known locally for his curation of the Direct-To-Video film festivals, is presenting a “sonic arrangement” entitled Cacophonous Pianos at VCU’s Institute of Contemporary Art. It’s part of the ICA’s current exhibition of artist Rashid Johnson’s sculpture, “Monument,” which in addition to the display of the sculpture will also “activation” by live performances made in response to the work.

Languell’s arrangement for a dozen pianos is one of these performances; it’ll take place twice this weekend — once on Friday and once on Saturday. It’ll feature a variety of noteworthy local musicians and artists, including Chino Amobi, Christian Luke Brady (Antlers/Father Sunflower), Abdul Hakim-Bilal (Among The Rocks and Roots), photographer David Kenedy, violinist Jessika Blanks, and a whole bunch more. As for what it will sound like, I only have wild guesses: a dozen Cecil Taylor records playing at once? The video for “Close (To The Edit)” by Art Of Noise where the punk girl destroys the piano? Those MIT students dropping a piano off a building? Maybe none of the above — but we can at least guarantee that it will be interesting. So show up, and bring an open mind that’s willing to do some thinking. You will be rewarded.

Wednesday, May 8, 9 PM
Tyler Meacham, Little River Creek Police, Margox @ The Camel – $5 in advance/$7 day of show (order tickets HERE)

OK, so it’s not ALL difficult music this week — local singer-songwriter Tyler Meacham is if anything just the opposite. Her beautiful pop music goes down like a cool drink of water, and the whole city now gets a chance to find this out, as she celebrates the release of her new single, “Moving On,” at the Camel tonight. Now, I am an old lady, and therefore have to be at least a little skeptical — how does a single release work in a post-streaming world? Does an artist even have anything to sell the people that come out? A download card, maybe? Or are even those passé now?

I guess we’ll all find out at The Camel tonight. One thing I do know for sure is that Tyler Meacham’s excellent voice, talented song construction, and flawless ear for pop melodies all show themselves to perfect effect on “Moving On,” a song that, if YouTube videos are any indication, I particularly enjoy in its full-band incarnation (though as a bit of a car nerd I am still kinda wondering what local shop they filmed that performance in). Tonight at the Camel, you’re sure to as well — and you’ll get a whole additional set from Meacham and her backing band, plus openers from fellow locals Little River Creek Police and Margox to glory in. Get stoked!

Thursday, May 9, 7 PM
Murder By Death, Sarah Shook and the Disarmers @ The Broadberry – $20 in advance/$25 day of show (order tickets HERE)

It’s time to swing back a little bit towards difficult, at least where descriptions are concerned. Because Murder By Death… they’re a bit hard to pin down, as a band. Having named themselves after a satirical mystery starring Truman Capote (no, not Philip Seymour Hoffman, the REAL Truman Capote. RIP to them both), this Indiana quintet proceeded to construct themselves in the form of a rootsy alt-country act.. and then play music that totally colored outside those genre lines, as a matter of course. That was over 15 years ago, and they haven’t headed back toward the conventional since.

So what is the story with Murder By Death? Well, musically, they land somewhere between the sort of gothic country death purveyed by Nick Cave in his more recent years, the epic punk travelogues of Titus Andronicus, and something maudlin, moody, and epic… Scott Walker? The Tindersticks? You get the basic idea. Their eighth and most recent album, The Other Shore, is a concept album about death — about what you’d expect at this point, right? That album came out on Bloodshot Records, and they come to RVA in the company of another Bloodshot artist, Sarah Shook and the Disarmers. This hardscrabble company of country-punks has never been afraid to stand up for causes they believe in, safe spaces and pro-LGBTQ feminism chief among them. Between that fact and the excellently heartbreaking prairie twang of their 2018 second LP, Years, they’ve definitely won me over in a big way. Show up on time at the Broadberry tomorrow night, and they’re guaranteed to win you over too.

Friday, May 10, 6 PM
Brian Markham, Gardener, Russ Waterhouse @ Steady Sounds – Free!

OK, back to the weirdness, and in fact, straight into the world of deep record-store crate-digging. That’s where you find all the best weirdo psych jams, don’cha know. Fledgling local label Flux Editions certainly know that — after all, they’re hosting the celebration for their inaugural release at Steady Sounds, a record store that certainly has more than its share of finds awaiting you in the stacks.

The find of the night Friday is Brian Markham, a recent Richmond transplant and member of underrated psych-drone champs Ancient Sky, as well as Dommengang and the Holy Sons, among others. His first solo release, Bat In The Baptismal Room, is just as deep and wide a space-drone excursion as you’d expect from one with the sort of pedigree he offers, and what will be fascinating will be seeing him bring this humming colossus to life right there on the floor of Steady Sounds. Get your records purchased and out to your car early, because you’re going to want to be prepared for takeoff before the music starts.

Saturday, May 11, 7 PM
Zeal & Ardor (Photo by Henry Schulz), Among The Rocks And Roots, Petrichor @ Capital Ale House Music Hall – $15 (order tickets HERE)

The internet. It used to be kinda OK, sometimes. I’ll give it that much, at least. But in recent years, it’s taken a definite turn towards the suck. Therefore, one really has to give props to anyone who can find a way to unearth something good from the social media shitpile. Like, for example, Swiss-American metalhead of color Manuel Gagneux, who — in a masterful display of resilience despite marginalization — took a maliciously-intended 4chan suggestion to mix black metal and traditional black music and turned it into a glorious reality, in the form of his latest band, Zeal & Ardor.

On their latest LP, Stranger Fruit, Zeal & Ardor made clear just what an emotional powerhouse can be created by mixing tremolo-picked hyperspeed guitars with soulful lead vocals backed by a transcendent gospel chorus. It’s tough to say whether Gagneux and company are playing anything that could be properly categorized as metal, but if what you want from your metal is to be laid flat by massive heaviness, Zeal & Ardor have the stuff you need. Open your mind to it and let it flow over you. You won’t regret it for a second. Equally powerful sounds from local champions Among The Rocks And Roots and Petrichor await you as opening preparation for what Zeal & Ardor have in store. Don’t miss it.

Sunday, May 12, 9 PM
Southside Stranglers, Sick Bags, Mystery Girl @ Bandito’s – Free!

The Southside Stranglers have been gone for quite a while now; not only was Richmond’s most notorious serial killer Timothy Wilson Spencer, executed by the state 25 years ago, the ripping Richmond punk band who used said serial killer as a namesake and, depending on which member you asked, a mascot, also played their last show a good seven years or so ago. Well, at least, their officially-billed “last show,” that is. Since then, they’ve risen from the grave to terrorize Richmond’s punk faithful several times, and this free Sunday night showdown is just the latest.

You might wonder, what’s this about? Is there some bigger meaning to be derived from this sudden return our long-expired local anti-heroes? Well, not necessarily — these guys are all still friends, and maybe they just felt like doing it once again. That said, it’s been three years since last time something like that happened, so if you value having your head rocked by a speedy, no-holds-barred punk rock attack, you are going to want to mark your calendars for this one. In addition to current-era Richmond punk torchbearers Sick Bags, support for this one will also be provided by upstate New York’s own Mystery Girl, a melodic punk outfit with the perfect dose of 50s greaser cool thrown in. Turn up the collar of your leather jacket before you hit Bandito’s back room for this one.

Monday, May 13, 7 PM
Bear’s Den, Vera Sola @ The Broadberry – $20 (order tickets HERE)

Little-known fact about me: bears are my favorite representatives of the entire animal kingdom (and yes, I know humans are members of the animal kingdom too. That doesn’t change my opinion one iota). So if your band name is a bear reference, I’m predisposed to like you. Actual results tend to be mixed on this score — for every Huggy Bear, there is a corresponding iwrestledabearonce. But Bear’s Den have proven themselves over their first three albums to be on the positive side of that equation, and I for one couldn’t be happier.

Bear’s Den have evolved significantly over the course of their still-brief career, beginning as a band whose moody alt-folk sounds split the difference between Tom Petty and Frightened Rabbit, then moving in a more electronic direction on second LP Red Earth And Pouring Rain. The just-released So That You Might Hear Me sees the UK ensemble maintaining their more electrified instrumental palate even as they increase the emphasis on their emotion-laden chorus melodies. While they started out drawing allegations of Mumford soundalike-ness, they’ve left all that behind in order to reach something deeper, something more profound. They’ll bring that sound to life at the Broadberry this Monday night. They’ll make you feel some feels — one of which should include positivity toward bears, nature’s perfect animals.

Tuesday, May 14, 7 PM
Wear Your Wounds, Uniform, Twin Drugs, Kristeva @ Gallery 5 – $15 (order tickets HERE)

As crazy as it might seem to those (like me, your decrepit yet intrepid columnist) who remember their teenage beginnings, Converge have become venerable elder statesmen of metallic hardcore in the quarter-century since their earliest EPs. Therefore it shouldn’t be any real surprise to find their vocalist, Jacob Bannon, spreading his wings with a solo-ish project. That’s the story with Wear Your Wounds, which began a couple of years ago with Bannon’s debut solo album of the same name. Since then, the project has turned into a full-time band, featuring members of The Red Chord, Cave-In, Twitching Tongues, and Trap Them.

Which would lead you to expect something in a similar vein to that of Converge, right? But no — if you’re looking for roaring vocals, blasting beats, and ripping thrash riffs, you better look to Bannon’s main project, because on the group’s forthcoming (first? second?) album, Rust On The Gates Of Heaven, they explore a dark, epic terrain much more familiar to fans of Neurosis, Swans, or Nick Cave than anything remotely resembling the metallic hardcore scene from which these vets all arise. Which doesn’t mean you should yawn or tune out — if anything, you should listen closer; interesting things always happen when proven musical talents extend themselves into new musical territory. This group is no exception. On Tuesday night, set your GPS for Gallery 5 — you’re going to want to be there.

Elsewhere Around The State:

Wednesday, May 8, 7 PM
The Suitcase Junket @ Toast – $10 (order tickets HERE)

There are many different ways to approach being a one-person band, and considering that my wife is a huge fan of the form, I’ve seen just about all of them. One thing I’ve learned about this particular musical approach is that it lends itself to rootsy, countrified bluesy sounds, and The Suitcase Junket definitely lands somewhere along those lines. Another thing I’ve learned is that feet are very important to one-person bands; that’s something else that The Suitcase Junket definitely proves.

This man and his somewhat ridiculous mustache do pretty normal band-guy things from the waist up — singing and strumming a guitar, mostly. But the foot pedals — The Suitcase Junket uses at least four — are what’s really important here, working not only an abbreviated but relatively conventional drum kit but also a series of percussion instruments, including a loud and memorable cowbell. If there’s one thing Christopher Walken’s taught us, it’s that we can all use a little more cowbell in our lives. So if you’re down Norfolk way tonight, you could certainly brighten up your midweek with a visit to Toast to watch The Suitcase Junket do his thing.

Friday, May 10, 8 PM
Tool @ Hampton Coliseum – $105-$145 (order tickets HERE)

It’s been 13 years since Tool released their fourth and, thus far, final album, and many of the leading lights in the progressive metal world are still trying to catch up with where they were back then. Over the decade plus since 10,000 Days, various members have kept busy making wine, investigating sacred geometries and occult rituals, writing comic books, and working with a variety of musical side projects, but it now seems clear that Tool will indeed be releasing a new album in the very near future. Not only have they been playing new songs live, they’ve given it an official release date of August 30. As in, this year.

So yeah, a lot of people are stoked — and I feel sure that at least a few of those people are regular readers of this column. Listen, if that’s you, I only hope I’m not the first one to bring you news of this upcoming Tool show on Friday at Hampton Coliseum. I say that because, as of last night, despite the show originally featuring tickets for as low as $70 (still a pretty high price from my vantage point), the cheapest ticket one could actually obtain online stood at over $100. Too rich for my blood, for sure — but if you’ve got one of those cushy office jobs that I hear some people luck into by the time they’re solidly into their 30s, maybe you can grab one for yourself. God knows you’re bound to have a great time — this band’s live performances are noteworthy both for their intensity and the sheer musical talent displayed on stage. And with the prospect of brand new songs in the offing? Who can resist? At least, who with 120 or so bucks to spare. If you have the means, this one gets my highest possible recommendation.

—-

Email me if you’ve got any tips for me about upcoming shows (that take place after the week this column covers -– this week’s column has obviously already been written): [email protected]

Music Sponsored By Graduate Richmond

An architectural breakdown of VCU’s new Institute for Contemporary Art

Brad Kutner | April 25, 2017

Topics: art, Institute for Contemporary art VCU, RVA art galleries, Steve Holl, VCU ICA

If you’ve driven through the Broad and Belvidere intersection at any point in the last year and a few months, you’ve noticed the construction of a hulking glass and steel building that will soon house VCU’s new Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA). In a press conference held today, VCU teamed up with BCWH Architects to offer some insight into the mysterious structure designed by NYC-based Steven Holl Architects.

“The site is a gateway to the city, and through the evolution of the Monroe Park campus, its also a gateway between the campus itself and the city of Richmond,” said Charles Piper, Principal at BCWH. His group has been working with Steve Holl locally to help facilitate the creation of the structure.

Holl, whose works are recognized internationally for their beauty and ability to transform spaces, started designing the ICA building in 2011. The $41 million (and 41,000 square ft.) structure it is set to open this October, just in time for November’s First Fridays art walk.

Piper said the Broad and Belvidere intersection itself helped inspire the ICA’s design – specifically the heavy traffic flow and the area’s many turning movements. All these features helped form the “torsion” of the building, its circular motion, both in the planning and vertically in its section.

“It’s as if the energy of the intersection threw itself up into the forms of the twisting shapes of the building,” said Piper. “All the energy drawn from the intersection twists and rises into the rectangular tower”

The ICA hopes to serve many purposes – gallery space, public forum, entertainment and event venue, as well as a meeting space for students and the community. Upon completion, the center of the building will be transparent through from the street to “invite entry and free exploration and connection” according to Piper.

Piper also pointed out the obvious: “the building is unlike anything else in Richmond,” but he hopes the intersection’s influence will help the building to “respond contextually” as a gateway to Broad st and Belvedere as an urban entrance. The “double front” of the structure will offer human entry from either the city-side, or the rear where a sculpture garden will guide folks from campus.

Piper said contemporary art has the “catalyzing power” to pose questions about perspective about experience, values and memories and the ICA building hopes to embody that potential “every time you drive by or come inside.”

The building’s dramatic curves and surfaces will also act to alter our impression depending on the time of day, weather and season – from roof top gardens to how light will play off and reflect from its zinc walls. Add to that the asymmetrical nature of the structure and it promises to be a truly unique end cap to RVA’s Broad St. Arts District.

“It’s not the same building from any two points of view,” Piper said, specifically referring to the building as a piece of “functional Sculpture” that is animated by its occupants and the items placed in it.

As with any modern building, there’s also a stress on sustainability with most of the structure’s guts – steel, glass, concrete and zinc – being made from recyclable materials.

Heating a cooling will be handled by 43 geothermal vents that will further reduce the electrical demands while walls will be made of dual layers of insulated glass that act as natural vents for excess heat.

“These design elements, as well as the sustainable features, will support the curatorial and educational mission of the ICA,” said Piper in closing – you’re chance to see the structure complete happens October 28th, 2017.

Renderings via Steven Holl Architects, construction photos via Institute for Contemporary Art at VC

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