ACTIVATING BUILT SPACE

(Infecting the Space & Inside/Outside)

“Dream House: Clothes Pit foregrounds the social aspect of art. The corner installation follows the natural triangular beam of light that falls through the gallery window. It consists of the artist’s personal clothing along with donated items that were cleaned at Mr. Stadium Coin Laundromat, filling the gallery with the familiar smell of fresh laundry. A small, cavernous space within the clothes pile is revealed only to viewers on street level. It houses a desk, drawer, notebook, lamp, night light, and mirror, further blurring the lines between public and private. Clothes Pit: “Since You’re Gone” is named after the nostalgic song “Since You’re Gone” by the New Wave rock band, The Cars. It replicates a tornado, a natural disaster that destroys everything in its wake, blending regional symbolism with personal identity while challenging the viewer’s perception of space.”

— Andy T’s Urban Vision curator Nadja Rottner

*Halloween Costume: The Space Below The Couch*

“This series of sculptures draws on plastic shopping bags from local stores such as Meijer, Kroger, Harbortown, or CVS, alongside other “eternal waste” like plastic bottles and caps. The water stored in some of the bottles comes from bathrooms on site, allowing for natural condensation to occur. Imitating natural growth patterns, careful consideration is given to each installation’s location, such as steering clear of light tracks, not puncturing the ceiling, and preserving window views. These flexible sculptures reflect the hues and forms of irrigation systems, vegetational growth, or meteorological events. By imitating natural elements and processes, the artworks bridge the gap between the natural and artificial, prompting a reflective dialogue on how to mitigate this increasing divide constructively.”

— Andy T’s Urban Vision curator Nadja Rottner

*Debt Letter Office (Mardigian Library)*

“For this series of Untitled installations, the artist rolls plastic grocery bags into circles after cutting off the bag handles. Fixed with acid-free double-sided tape onto walls after ironing them together on site, the flattened bags in shades of brown, green, and yellow emulate growing vines. They reach for ceiling-mounted gallery lights, mirroring plant growth towards the sun. Inspired by his urban gardening work in Hamtramck (together with Toby Millman), Thompson imitates how in natural plant growth smooth transitions occur between the greens and yellows of healthy growth and the brown of decay. The artist states that these Untitled site-specific installations, designed specifically for the room’s dimensions and limitations, allow audiences to re-experience the built space imaginatively.”

— Andy T’s Urban Vision curator Nadja Rottner