Fri 10/8 @ 6-9PM
The FRONT International Triennial debuted in northeast Ohio in the summer of 2018, running for three months and showcasing both regional and international artists. Its next edition, originally scheduled for 2021, was kicked back a year due to the pandemic; it will now take place from July 16-October 2, 2022 at more than 20 locations around the region.
Planning is well underway for the second edition of FRONT, titled Oh, Gods of Dust and Rainbows, which “embraces art as an agent of transformation, a mode of healing and a therapeutic process,” an opportunity to address the post-COVID world and lingering impacts of the pandemic.
To introduce people to the direction the event is taking, the Transformer Station will open a FRONT 2022 preview exhibit called Grand Prototypes, Humble Tools, featuring some of the artists whose work was seen in the past along with projects still in development. And the projects — and exhibit — will undergo change as they’re expanded or revised during the three month run. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn how such a large-scale event is put together and what are some of the things they might see at the free event next summer.
“By previewing specific projects and the curatorial methods of the show in this way, Grand Prototypes, Humble Tools intends both to pull back the curtain on the triennial-making process and invite participation and feedback directly from Cleveland-area communities,” the organizers say. “Visitors will be asked to engage in activities related to each project, and the open-ended installation — which will extend across both galleries of Transformer Station and include a range of films, works on paper, furniture, textiles, sculptures, performances, and more.”
The opening reception on Friday October 8 will feature DJ Red-I spinning music and live screen printing of artist-designed T-shirts, and refreshments available for purchase. It will take places indoors and outdoors, weather permitting, with masks required indoors. It’s free and open to the public. The exhibit will be on view through Sunday January 2, 2022.