The student news site of El Camino College

El Camino College The Union

The student news site of El Camino College

El Camino College The Union

The student news site of El Camino College

El Camino College The Union

    Multi-disciplinary artist featured in El Camino College Art Gallery

    “Momenta” includes various mediums of art such as non-narrative videos, otherworldly landscapes, wardrobe and furniture installations, photography and more.

    El Camino College is hosting the online exhibition, “Momenta” by Lauren Kasmer, a multidisciplinary artist, until May 9. Hosting the exhibit online poised a challenge for Kasmer, considering many of Kasmer’s past exhibits included interactive art that would include guests which participate in the installations.

    “We are social beings and a lot of the time my artwork acknowledges that, by inviting people to become a part of it, to not just stand in a gallery and look at it,” Kasmer said. Her past exhibits and events would even include invited chefs that would cook thematically related food in relation to her art.

    In addition to including food for guests, Kasmer would also invite people to try on the wearable pieces that were a part of the installations.

    “The experience in person, of [Kasmer’s] work is very tactile and sensual,” Joyce Dallal, digital art professor at ECC said. “That is really hard to get from having it on the screen.”

    Not only is “Momenta” entirely online, but Kasmer also managed to organize the exhibition online through Zoom, Skype and email.

    “It was actually easier than it would’ve been to set it up physically, but also slightly disappointing not to be able to see it in person,” Susanna Meiers, art curator for the art gallery said.

    “It took some thinking, really, I wondered if I really would want to do an exhibition that people couldn’t walk into and see,” Kasmer said. “I decided that I was gaining so much from the connections I was able to make during this time, even though it was difficult, that I thought it was worthwhile to make this presentation.”

    While “Momenta” can only be viewed online, Kasmer is planning to announce a livestream event to provide a more interactive experience. The particular installation that will be part of the livestream event will be Kasmer’s most recent work “Equipoise.”

    In lieu of being set up in a studio, “Equipoise” is set up in an apartment bedroom. The installation includes several custom decorative pieces along with a rug made from the upcycled fabric leftover from Kasmer’s wardrobe pieces, and a custom soundscape composed by Jennifer Ricciardi, who also composed the soundtrack for her “Mount” video.

    The livestream will include individuals walking into the “Equipose” installation alone to sit and interact with pieces and demonstrate the contemplative space designed by Kasmer.

    “This is an intended space to inspire those who visit it, to create their own space,” Kasmer said .

    Along with a livestream, Kasmer is also planning on making several announcements of physical items that will be available to acquire from the “Momenta” website. The item that is currently in the works is a limited edition View-Master inspired toy that will include a reel of imagery from the exhibit.

    Since the online installations cannot provide sufficient interactions, Kasmer hopes these items will fill the interactive component which is missing.

    “I really love the idea that there was something in my exhibition, so to speak, that was still hands-on,” Kasmer said.

    The Momenta” exhibit has five installations which can be found on the El Camino College Art Gallery page.

    More to Discover