The first publication. thesoftspot.org
What's your soft spot? What concepts, events, and injustices strike a nerve so much that it prompts action? What gets you riled up? "What the #$%& is social design"? These are the questions that Academy of Art University MFA students, Ashley Cieka and Mike Jeter address the public in their exhibition, What the *#&! is Social Design? opening TONIGHT at Gallery 79 (79 New Montgomery, Academy of Art University Galleries) at 6:30 PM.
Art and design has long been associated with social change--in this exhibition, Cieka and Jeter examine how contemporary artists and designers recruit their visions to facilitate change in today's world. Given the ease and effectiveness with which visuals penetrate our consciousness (often without our knowledge), it is easy to undermine the power images wield on our psyches and subsequently, our actions. We've all witnessed the ways the power of images have been abused (for example, by governments, individuals in power, advertising), leaving us to wonder how and in what ways this power can be channeled into social progress. Through this exhibition, their publication (first issuse will be available at tonight's reception!), and their growing network of artists, thinkers, and writers, Cieka and Jeter hope to establish a platform for designers to address contemporary issues, engage viewers, and foster a "higher quality of life."
Featured artists and activists include: Emily Pilloton (Project H Design), Ben Davis (Word Pictures Ideas, Buy-less), Phil Hamlett (Compostmodern) and more.
Check out the show tonight to learn more about social design, voice what your "soft spots" are, pick up their first publication....and of course, nosh on frozen yogurt. Get it?
Can't make it tonight? Check out their website and blog.
Gallery 79 (79 New Montgomery) 6:30 PM.
Other articles about artists/organizations engaged with social awareness:
Comments