The Soap Factory Presents...

Pay Attention: Greater Minneapolis 08
Opening Reception Saturday, September 13, 2008 7-11 PM // Exhibition Runs: Sep 13 - Oct 26, 2008

Produced by : Christopher Pole, Patricia Healy McMeans -- Advisors: Yasmil Raymond, Dave Salmela.
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In 1974, Gordon Matta-Clark wrote “the only difference between expectation and surprise is authorship.” This observation framed his artistic process; he regarded the bisection of buildings and houses as a “releasing of architecture.” His own hand on the chainsaw simply became a utilitarian tool to release inherent energies already existing within the structure. Clearly Matta-Clark’s engagement is crucial to the experiment, but for him the art remains separate from himself in a phenomenological sense. He surrenders the idea of the artist author, and in doing so, the result of his experiment begins to shift away from expectation to the unknown. The distinction between expectation and surprise informs the timbre of the exhibition Pay Attention: GM08, on view at the Soap Factory from September 13- October 26.

What began as a survey of emerging contemporary artists based out of the Twin Cities area has focused itself into a group show of experimental new work by 22 artists and collaboratives. Critically engaging social and psychological examination, these artists use varied processes and time- and object-based mediums: performance, sound, new media, painting, printmaking, photography, film, and sculpture. All participating artists were asked to make new work specifically for this show. As producers, and viewers, we don’t know exactly what we’re going to get in September, a condition which further shifts our expectation.

Participating artists: Christopher Baker, David A. Bradberry, Eric William Carroll, Jan Estep, Chris Hill, Julia Kouneski, Kristine Heykants, Ali Momeni, Pete McLarnan, Christian Nielsen, Christopher Pancoe, Kirsten Peterson, Drew Peterson, Heidi Prenevost, Stevie Rexroth, Jenny Schmid, Andrew Schroeder, Tony Sunder, Tectonic Industries, Megan Vossler, Jonathan Gomez Whitney, and Marcus Young.

Please visit the Pay Attention: GM08 website for more information on inidividual artists.



Ongoing throughout the season in Project Room 2

History Room: 20 Years of No Name and The Soap Factory
April 19-October 26, 2008
Opening reception: 7 – 11pm, April 19, 2008 / Closing reception: October 3, 2008

In October of 1988, a new art space calling itself No Name Gallery opened its doors in the Warehouse District of downtown Minneapolis. That gallery would eventually become the Soap Factory, one of the longest-lived contemporary art spaces in the Twin Cities. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Soap Factory, curator Andy Sturdevant has created The History Room, a gallery dedicated to telling the saga of Soap from the depths of 20 years of archives. Including photographs, artwork, promotional posters, historic documents, personal recollections and video, the History Room gives visitors an opportunity to learn more about the gallery famed for its raw space, its brutal lack of heat, and its remarkable following of artists who have tirelessly transformed it over the years. The Soap Factory is one of the largest spaces for contemporary art in the Twin Cities, and the exhibition History Room charts not only the story of No Name and The Soap Factory, but also the story of the thriving, exciting, and ever-evolving art scene for which Minneapolis is so renowned.
In addition to a thoughtful sampling of Soap's 20 year paper trail, History Room also features over a dozen artists who have been invited back to show new work and share their experiences at No Name and the Soap. Beginning April 19 with work from Mark Nielsen and Ilene Krug Mojsilov, the first two artists shown at No Name, the History Room will rotate new work on a monthly basis. Some artists featured on the roster include Modern Man, Mark Wojahn, David Wyrick, Jen Bervin, David Lowe, David Lefkowitz, Emily Lutzker, Tamara Albaitas and many others.