Forget Them

Work from 33 artists and collectives on view for BKMW’s 4th annual juried exhibition.

Ancient Truth Investigators
Andy Lowrie
Åsa Elmstam
Black Adept
Carina Shoshtary
Danielle Embry
Elisabeth Scheller
Emily Blodgett-Panos
Emily Culver
Emily Grego
Erica Bello
Holland Houdek
Jaesung Lee
Julia Walter
Karen Vanmol
Lauren Kalman
Lissy Selvius
Maggie Willsey
Marion Delarue
Matt Lambert
Maureen Duffy
Melissa Cameron & Jill Hermans
Mi-Sook Hur
Nadine Simone Kuffner
Nicole Polentas
Rhea Vedro
Rob McKirdie
RIMA
Sharon Massey
Sin-Titulo
Sofia Bjorkman
Vivienne Varay
WALKA Studio

Juried by Steven Gordon Holman, Brian Weissman, Erin S. Daily

Talismans, amulets, shrines, and charms that have been created to wear, carry, or look upon. These objects convey a specific power, intend to protect against superstition, or commemorate.

This exhibition is inspired by a quote from the only surviving poem by Lucretius (c. 99 – c. 55 BCE) – On the Nature of Things.

“There are no angels, demons, or ghosts. Immaterial spirits of any kind do not exist….Forget them.”

Yet it seems that despite our best efforts, we can’t. This show examines humankind’s perennial struggle between personal autonomy and spiritual guidance, and how these ideas manifest and inspire the fabrication of physical objects.

All cultures throughout the ages have taken abstract concepts like gods, demons, imps, and spirits and translated them into material items that are often housed in esteemed spaces. Shrines that celebrate, amulets that protect, and totems that commemorate these enduring theologies and phenomenons. Perhaps the most resilient form of piety, the belief that objects imbued with spiritual reverence might protect or reward the owner withstands the test of time, often despite our better judgment.

“There are no angels, demons, or ghosts. Immaterial spirits of any kind do not exist. The creatures with which the Greek and Roman imagination populated the world—Fates, harpies, demons, genii, nymphs, satyrs, dryads, celestial messengers, and the spirits of the dead—are entirely unreal. Forget them.”

– Lucretius