Two summer exhibitions, “Natalie de Segonzac: Evidence” and “Where There’s Smoke,” an immersive storytelling experience by Lance Weiler, as well as a new installation by Sebastienne Mundheim, are on view at ArtYard in Frenchtown, N.J.
“Evidence” and “Where There’s Smoke” feature powerful works by artists who have harnessed their creative expression to heal from trauma and loss. The exhibitions will be on view through Oct. 1.
“Evidence” is the first solo exhibition featuring works by multidisciplinary artist Natalie de Segonzac that explore the narrative of a changing body. Curated by ArtYard Artistic Director Elsa Mora, it includes photography, installations, video, and sculpture that investigate the hidden complexities of the mind and its relationship to the body. It is on view in ArtYard’s second-floor Lynn & John Kearney Gallery.
A limited-edition “Evidence” exhibition catalog designed by Izzy Natale will be available for sale in ArtYard’s Contrary Art Shop.
In “Where There’s Smoke,” Weiler unravels the secrets of his enigmatic father – a volunteer firefighter and amateur fire scene photographer – and two devastating fires that struck the Weiler family in the early 1980s in Bucks County. In the final months of his battle with colon cancer, Weiler’s father invites Lance to interview him, and these conversations reignite 30 years of wondering … were those fires more than tragic accidents?
On view in the first-floor River Gallery, the exhibition employs elements of immersive theater, interactive documentary, and emergent technology that guides people through a deconstructed, abstracted exploration of Lance’s father’s life, offering interactive prompts along the way.
As a project, “Where There’s Smoke” had its world premiere at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival and has been reimagined for ArtYard by Weiler and producer Peter English during a series of residencies developing and testing new enchanting technology. It is paired with a live performance in ArtYard’s McDonnell Theater on Saturday, Sept. 30.
Visitors will explore “Where There’s Smoke” in small groups to allow for an optimal experience. Timed tickets for the roughly 40-minute experience are required. To avoid a long wait, visitors are encouraged to book their tickets prior to their visit at https://www.ticketor.com/artyard/smokeprojectartyard.
“Kea and the Ark” features puppets, objects, and video documentation of performances of the same name by Sebastienne Mundheim and Harlee Trautman of White Box Theatre.
The performances at ArtYard’s McDonnell Theater in May 2023 were the culmination of residencies after ArtYard commissioned Mundheim to engage with the mystery of Kea Tawana, a social activist, self-taught engineer, and ark-builder who made an 86-foot-long, three-story high ship from salvaged wood, stained glass, and other materials from abandoned buildings in Newark’s Central Ward in the 1980s.
Kea and the Ark will be on view in ArtYard’s second-floor Laboratory Gallery through Sunday, July 23.
For information, visit www.artyard.org.
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