Between an Egg and a Wall

Between an Egg and a Wall

On view June 2 - 24th, 2023

Program Gallery

Presented by Arts Fort Forth

Participating Artists:

Maritza Bautista, Laredo, TX; Julie Libersat, Denton, TX; Laila Saber Rodriguez, Netherlands; David Anthony Sant, Sydney, Australia; Jiatong Yao, Dallas, TX

The exhibition title Between an Egg and A Wall comes from a 2009 acceptance speech given by Haruki Marakami. “If there is a hard, high wall and an egg that breaks against it, no matter how right the wall or how wrong the egg, I will stand on the side of the egg. Why? Because each of us is an egg, a unique soul enclosed in a fragile egg. Each of us is confronting a high wall. The high wall is the system which forces us to do the things we would not ordinarily see fit to do as individuals . . . We are all human beings, individuals, fragile eggs. We have no hope against the wall: it's too high, too dark, too cold. To fight the wall, we must join our souls together for warmth, strength. We must not let the system control us -- create who we are. It is we who created the system.”

Between an Egg and A Wall includes the digital and video works of Maritza Bautista, Julie Libersat, Laila Saber Rodriguez, David Anthony Sant, and Jiatong Yao, exploring the act of walking as a form of transgression creating what Michel de Certeau called, “Unpredictable Narratives.” The artworks presented highlight the complex relationship between human beings and their environments, emphasizing the significance of lived experiences, and the ethical, social, and aesthetic dimensions of our interactions with specific places. These narratives are often overlooked in a world that streams to the palm of our hand 1,000 megabits per second. In a society that values constant connectivity these artworks provide the viewer with the opportunity for self-reflection and introspection and foster a deeper understanding of our own interactions with the world.