Alums Celebrate Launch of Artist Book re:connections

On Sunday, Feb. 20 from 2 to 5 pm, the artist book re:connections, featuring 19 members of CalArts’ Schools of Art and Critical Studies 2021 MFA cohorts, will launch at the Mackey Apartments Block Party. The event, hosted by MAK Center, culminates in a panel discussion among CalArts visiting faculty, Guggenheim Fellow, and conceptual artist Zoe Strauss; Tatum Howey (Critical Studies MFA 21), PhD candidate at UCSD; curator Audrey Min; and School of Art faculty Ashley Hunt.

The book features artworks by 18 members of CalArts’ 2021 Art MFA cohort: Danielle Trent, Yaozhi Liu, Seongeun Kim, Benjamin S. Gordon, Shan Ni, Eleanor Francis, Juan Herrera, Fía Benitez, Dongpu Ling, Jing Dong, Aimée Dopa, Caleb Craig, Lois Bielefeld, Ruoyi Shi, Dana Carly Eitches, Amanda Bauer, Kendra Le Bault de La Moriniere, and Richard Nam, as well as an introduction by Howey.

In their contributions, artists reflect on their practices over the past two years across two spreads and an index entry each. The book accompanies the exhibition with which it shares its name, curated by Audrey Min at Tin Flats Los Angeles (Aug. 5-31, 2021).

re:connections is an 8.75 x 8.75”, 96-page, Smyth sewn paperback with a foil stamped cover, edition of 100. Printed by Conveyor Studio, the publication’s concept, design, editing, and sequencing were collaboratively realized by the exhibition’s executive committee, with guest editors Strauss, Courtney Loi (Critical Studies MA 21), and Matthew R. Bussa (Critical Studies MFA 20).