Whisper!
There's exciting news and it's been a bit confidential until now. Come closer because a secret beckons...
Verum Ultimum's next brick and mortar is on the horizon and I cannot wait to reveal more about it in the coming months!
In the meantime I am posting the inaugural call for art for the new space and it is:
WHISPER!
Whisper!: when the murmur from art echoes beyond the walls & settles somewhere secret. And "Whisper" with an exclamation may signal contradictions or dualities. The term carries symbolism pertinent to the momentous occasion (of a new space), but it also carries mystery to be filled in by artists' interpretations of this compelling word and theme.
The idea of the "whisper" may be inextricably attached to the importance in the unknown or the hidden. And a type of reverence may be ingrained in our collective psyche around all things art. For me, perhaps it began when I first entered museum spaces as a young girl(in NYC), I remember adults turning to children with pointer fingers glued to pursed lips. They were signaling that hushed tones and reverence was in order. And reverence is in order, anticipation is in order...like the closed curtains and the dimming of lights in the theater, the collective whisper commands us to turn to fix our attention to this provocative theme. And perhaps expand the bounds of literal elucidations.
Artists may interpret the theme "whisper" to include quiet works, but it extends far beyond that and Verum is open to all interpretations of this theme.
An example of how whisper might be perceived with a bolder vision, happened in 2020 (at the old brick and mortar space). There was an exhibit of decidedly visceral work that would be considered the polar opposite of quiet or gentle! But I refer to this exhibition because the collective influence of the cofrontational work made gallery visitors' speechless...and the work actually created a crescendo of whispers (within the space).
That being said...
Quiet interpretations are indeed welcome, as are bold...and just like all Verum calls for art, the term WHISPER may be framed in many ways, and not meant to be rigid or literal. Verum hopes to discover how you respond to the theme "Whisper!" and what it might mean for you (in your work). Are hidden parts or whispers revealed through your work? Is there a gentle, soft approach to the medium that whispers to the viewer? Is there a secret meaning and/or symbolic elements at play in your work?
All mediums and modes of expression are welcome. Verum Ultimum Gallery tasks artists to define this inaugural exhibition to herald in Verum's new space in Southeast Portland for the summer of 2024!