Additional Culchural Programming available here. This summer, the FLUXspace Historical Museum of Contemporary Culture (HMCC) unveils its first major exhibition: KAT CULCHUR. Humankind’s interest in cats has fallen in and out of style for thousands of years. In an era where the feline is a prominent, if not iconic, subject in a variety of intellectual, visually entertaining, and scientific pursuits, their preeminence dare not be ignored. Following a period of dedicated exploration, the FLUXspace HMCC Research Team will make public a rare collection of late 20th and early 21st century cat ephemera and artifacts, attempting to capture that uniquely fin de siècle phenomenon: cat culture. The Cat Culture exhibit spans the disciplines of anatomy, philosophy, linguistics, behavioral science, and co-domestication. The FLUXspace HMCC addresses issues such as: artifice vs. artifacts, art vs. fact, fantasy vs. the way your neighbor spends their free time. A portion of the FLUXspace HMMC's collection was recently on view at the Tate Modern in London when FLUXspace participated in No Soul For Sale in the Tate's Turbine Hall. The reception was astounding; it turns out the Britons love their kittens. The Cat Culture exhibition at Philadelphia's FLUXspace runs from June 26 to August 15, 2010, with an Opening Reception from 7 - 10pm on June 26, 2010. A schedule of additional cultural programming will be posted on FLUXspace's online calendar, including a screening of the Cat Ladies documentary, directed by Christie Callan-Jones, as well as a "docent" led "gallery talk" and a field trip to The International Cat Association Cat Show in York, PA on July 10th. The Exhibition will be on view during all events at FLUXspace as well as by chance and appointment. Early Praise for KAT CULCHUR: NYTimes, October 1874: "We are pleased to see that something is to be done in honour of the cat. At the Crystal Palace, London, in July, there is to be a cat show, and it is to be hoped that something will be said and written and done to illustrate the good qualities of that amiable but impulsive quadruped.“ NYTimes, March 2019 "A world-class team of ailurophiles, veterinarians, psychiatrists, and animal behavior specialists was formed last year to attempt to determine why Snuggleboots was able to survive despite the worldwide onslaught of SPHINX Syndrome (Successive Paradigmio Heteroparasitian Immunofeline Neurological Xenocyclica) in 2016 which has led to the world-wide near extinction of domestic cats." The material in this exhibit would not be possible with the specific talents of Shaun Baer, Judy Desis, Nike Desis, Joseph Digiuseppe, Susanna Gieske, Angela Jerardi, Josh Kerner, Austin Lee, Andrew Lopez, Melissa McFeeters, Warren Miller, Leslie Rogers, K-Fai Steele, Maggie Van Scoyk, and James Weissinger. Thanks to everyone who has supported and provided inspiration for this project; extra special thanks to the following for their support--without whom this project wouldn't have been possible: the Buddy Taub Foundation, the Philadelphia Exhibitions Initiative of the Pew Center for Arts and Heritage, Marianne Bernstein, and Dreamcatchers Anonymous. After the show closes, we are not going to think about cats for awhile.
Images: Extra Ephemera and Digital Detritus: (Official Press Release Coming Soon)
For more information on this show, contact info[at]thefluxspace[dot]org. |
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