The World Is Before You
July 6 - August 12, 2023
SHIFT Residency Exhibition
Artists
Francisco echo Eraso
Willa Goettling
Maya Jeffereis
Gabrielle Ondine Mertz
Dario Mohr
Carrie Sijia Wang
Curator: Naomi Lev
Assistant Curator: Minji Lee
For the past six months the SHIFT residency artists: Francisco echo Eraso, Willa Goettling, Maya Jeffereis, Gabrielle Ondine Mertz, Dario Mohr, and Carrie Sijia Wang, have been activating their shared studio at The Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts, meeting with professionals, and working on their projects towards a final exhibition. Throughout this time they were committed to diving into their individual processes, exploring their lineages, roots, and upbringings, and sharing distinct voices that encapsulate their rich and complex backgrounds. The results are artworks that capture personal stories of exploration, dedication, and labor that reflect on the history of our nation and reveal a magnitude of cultures and circumstances.
Upcoming Public Programs:
Opening Reception: Poetry Reading and Musical Performance
Thursday, July 6, 6:30-8:30 PM
Poetry reading by Willa Goettling and Musical Performance by Nava Dunkelman.
Organized by Maya Jeffereis and Willa Goettling
In person at EFA Project Space
323 W 39th St, New York, NY 10018
Free and open to the public.
It’s One Year From Today And Here Are The Headlines
Thursday, July 20, 6:30-8:30 PM
Gabrielle Ondine Mertz and Carrie Sijia Wang in conversation about art, AI Technology, & The News of the Future, along with the release of their new collaborative work, “It’s One Year From Today And These Are The Headlines”.
Organized by Gabrielle Ondine Mertz and Carrie Sijia Wang
In person at EFA Project Space
323 W 39th St, New York, NY 10018
Free and open to the public.
Catalog Launch and Grieving Rituals
Thursday, August 10, 6:30-8:30 PM
Performance by Dario Mohr and Percussionist Kraig Blue, alongside culminating performance by Francisco echo Eraso.
Organized by Francisco echo Eraso and Dario Mohr
In person at EFA Project Space
323 W 39th St, New York, NY 10018
Free and open to the public.
Installation Photography by Julia Gillard
Willa Goettling, untitled (stone IV), 2023. Hand-carved soapstone, black acrylic ink, 8 x 4 x 2.5 inches.
Dario Mohr, Abankɛseɛ 1, 2023. Wooden object assemblage, acrylic paint, paperweight, acrylic tile, Photography collage printed on window film adhered to plastic cylinder, LED light, acrylic on leather rope. 28 x 8 x 8 inches.
Maya Jeffereis, Fields Fallen from Distant Songs, 2023. Single-channel video (color, sound); 4K video, 16 mm, 11:30 minutes, looped.
Front, from top to bottom:
Carrie Sijia Wang, Hey Alien: How to Use the Examination Practice Room, 2023. Video, 01:43 minutes.
Carrie Sijia Wang, Hey Alien: Welcome Flyers, 2023. Print on paper, 8.5 x 11 inches.
Back:
Carrie Sijia Wang, Hey Alien: Integration Assessment Examination Practice Tests, 2023. Interactive installation, 03:00 minutes, dimensions variable.
Image Description: A white wall has text on the left and a monitor and acrylic sign holders with flyers below. To the right, a person sits on a clear chair and speaks into a microphone responding to a question posed by the monitor in front of them.
Front:
Francisco echo Eraso, Flor de cuatro pétalos, 2023. Dyed linen yarn, floor loom, Open Audio Description, Ongoing Performance, Dimensions variable.
Back, from left to right:
Carrie Sijia Wang, Hey Alien: How to Use the Examination Practice Room, 2023. Video, 01:43 minutes.
Carrie Sijia Wang, Hey Alien: Welcome Flyers, 2023. Print on paper, 8.5 x 11 inches.
Carrie Sijia Wang, Hey Alien: Integration Assessment Examination Practice Tests, 2023. Interactive installation, 03:00 minutes, dimensions variable.
Image description: Installation view of a white wall with text and a monitor on the left, person sitting in front of a screen on the right, and a large wooden loom with red and gold threads, red backpack with a red cross, and a sound cone hung from the ceiling.
Front left:
Francisco echo Eraso, Flor de cuatro pétalos, 2023. Dyed linen yarn, floor loom, Open Audio Description, Ongoing Performance, Dimensions variable.
Back:
Dario Mohr, Trophies of War, Kingdom of Light, 2023. Installation View.
Back right:
Gabrielle Ondine Mertz, Constant Transmission Can’t Stop Won’t Stop, CNN, First 24-hour news broadcast, June 1 1980, 2023. Pigment painting on paper, 36 x 31 inches.
Gabrielle Ondine Mertz, I’m Only On Here For The Dogs, Instagram, First Beta Test Post, October 6 2010-Present, 2023. Pigment painting on paper, 36 x 31 inches.
Gabrielle Ondine Mertz, Nothing Like A Renegade, Tiktok, 2019, 2023. Pigment painting on paper, 36 x 24. inches.
Front right:
Willa Goettling, the temperature of dissociation / the process of dissolution, 2023. 35mm photograph printed on adhesive window cling, plexi glass, calcium carbonate, hardware, 14 x 21 inches.
Willa Goettling, a geology breaks in half to grow, 2023. Risograph printed accordion fold book, French’s true-white speckletone paper, 6 x 40 inches (6 x 5 inches folded). Edition of 50.
Image description: To the right is a large wooden loom with red and gold threads. To the right in the far back, an aqua pedestal with sculptures is partially obscured. Bold, colorful prints are hung on the walls on the right, and a white pedestal with an unfolded book is on the far right.
From left to right:
Gabrielle Ondine Mertz, Constant Transmission Can’t Stop Won’t Stop, CNN, First 24-hour news broadcast, June 1 1980, 2023. Pigment painting on paper, 36 x 31 inches.
Gabrielle Ondine Mertz, I’m Only On Here For The Dogs, Instagram, First Beta Test Post, October 6 2010-Present, 2023. Pigment painting on paper, 36 x 31 inches.
Gabrielle Ondine Mertz, Nothing Like A Renegade, Tiktok, 2019, 2023. Pigment painting on paper, 36 x 24. inches.
Willa Goettling, the temperature of dissociation / the process of dissolution, 2023. 35mm photograph printed on adhesive window cling, plexi glass, calcium carbonate, hardware, 14 x 21 inches.
Willa Goettling, a geology breaks in half to grow, 2023. Risograph printed accordion fold book, French’s true-white speckletone paper, 6 x 40 inches (6 x 5 inches folded). Edition of 50.
Willa Goettling, untitled (stone III), 2023. Hand-carved soapstone, black acrylic ink 9.5 x 4 x 2 inches.
Willa Goettling, untitled (stone IV), 2023. Hand-carved soapstone, black acrylic ink, 8 x 4 x 2.5 inches.
Willa Goettling, untitled (stone II), 2023. Hand-carved limestone, black acrylic ink, 11 x 8 x 6 inches.
Willa Goettling, untitled (stone I), 2023. Hand-carved soapstone, black acrylic ink, 8 x 7 x 3 inches.
Image Description: Three bold, colorful prints are hung on the walls on the right, and a white pedestal with an unfolded book is to the right. To the right, three dark blue shelves display four stones with text carved into them. Each stone is roughly 4-8 inches in diameter, organically shaped, in varying shades of gray and tan.
Front:
Willa Goettling, the temperature of dissociation / the process of dissolution, 2023. 35mm photograph printed on adhesive window cling, plexi glass, calcium carbonate, hardware, 14 x 21 inches.
Back, from left to right:
Willa Goettling, a geology breaks in half to grow, 2023. Risograph printed accordion fold book, French’s true-white speckletone paper, 6 x 40 inches (6 x 5 inches folded). Edition of 50.
Willa Goettling, untitled (stone III), 2023. Hand-carved soapstone, black acrylic ink 9.5 x 4 x 2 inches.
Willa Goettling, untitled (stone IV), 2023. Hand-carved soapstone, black acrylic ink, 8 x 4 x 2.5 inches.
Willa Goettling, untitled (stone II), 2023. Hand-carved limestone, black acrylic ink, 11 x 8 x 6 inches.
Willa Goettling, untitled (stone I), 2023. Hand-carved soapstone, black acrylic ink, 8 x 7 x 3 inches.
Image Description: On a white gallery wall, three dark blue shelves display four stones with text carved into them. Each stone is roughly 4-8 inches in diameter, organically shaped, in varying shades of gray and tan. Short poetic phrases are carved across the stones’ surfaces, which liken the geologic and industrial processes that limestone undergoes to the impacts of capitalism on working class bodies.
Maya Jeffereis, Fields Fallen from Distant Songs, 2023. Single-channel 4K video, 16mm film (color, sound) 11:30 minutes, looped.
Maya Jeffereis, Passages I, 2023. Single-channel 4K video, 16mm film (color, silent), sugar glass screen 05:00 minutes, looped.
Image Description: A dark room with two films side-by-side and a white bench. Left film projected onto wall has blue mountains with text “[THEY TRIED] WRITING US INTO STILLNESS / INTO SILENCE”. The right film is abstract, projected onto a screen made of sugar glass, suspended from the ceiling.
From left to right:
Gabrielle Ondine Mertz, Feelin’s Believin’, C-SPAN House Feed, January 6 2021, 2023. Pigment painting on paper, 36 x 25.25 inches.
Gabrielle Ondine Mertz, I’m Only On Here For The Dogs, Instagram, First Beta Test Post, October 6 2010-Present, 2023. Pigment painting on paper, 36 x 31 inches.
Gabrielle Ondine Mertz, Nothing Like A Renegade, Tiktok, 2019, 2023. Pigment painting on paper, 36 x 24 inches.
Willa Goettling, a geology breaks in half to grow, 2023. Risograph printed accordion fold book, French’s true-white speckletone paper, 6 x 40 inches (6 x 5 inches folded). Edition of 50.
Willa Goettling, untitled (stone III), 2023. Hand-carved soapstone, black acrylic ink 9.5 x 4 x 2 inches.
Willa Goettling, untitled (stone IV), 2023. Hand-carved soapstone, black acrylic ink, 8 x 4 x 2.5 inches.
Willa Goettling, untitled (stone II), 2023. Hand-carved limestone, black acrylic ink, 11 x 8 x 6 inches.
Willa Goettling, untitled (stone I), 2023. Hand-carved soapstone, black acrylic ink, 8 x 7 x 3 inches.
Willa Goettling, the temperature of dissociation / the process of dissolution, 2023. 35mm photograph printed on adhesive window cling, plexi glass, calcium carbonate, hardware, 14 x 21 inches.
Image Description: To the left, three bold, colorful prints are hung from walls. In the back to the right, 4 stones sit on shelves and an unfolded book sits on a white pedestal. A photograph is suspended from the ceiling to the furthest right.
From left to right:
Gabrielle Ondine Mertz, Constant Transmission Can’t Stop Won’t Stop, CNN, First 24-hour news broadcast, June 1 1980, 2023. Pigment painting on paper, 36 x 31 inches.
Gabrielle Ondine Mertz, I’m Only On Here For The Dogs, Instagram, First Beta Test Post, October 6 2010-Present, 2023. Pigment painting on paper, 36 x 31 inches.
Gabrielle Ondine Mertz, Nothing Like A Renegade, Tiktok, 2019, 2023. Pigment painting on paper, 36 x 24. inches.
Image Description: Three bold, colorful prints are hung from walls.
From left to right:
Dario Mohr, Trophies of War, Kingdom of Light, 2023. Installation View.
Gabrielle Ondine Mertz, Feelin’s Believin’, C-SPAN House Feed, January 6 2021, 2023. Pigment painting on paper, 36 x 25.25 inches.
Gabrielle Ondine Mertz, I’m Only On Here For The Dogs, Instagram, First Beta Test Post, October 6 2010-Present, 2023. Pigment painting on paper, 36 x 31 inches.
Gabrielle Ondine Mertz, Nothing Like A Renegade, Tiktok, 2019, 2023. Pigment painting on paper, 36 x 24. inches.
Image Description: To the left in the back, an aqua pedestal with sculptures and pillar sculpture. Bold, colorful prints are hung on the walls on the right
From top to bottom, left to right:
Dario Mohr, Abankɛseɛ 1, 2023. Wooden object assemblage, acrylic paint, paperweight, acrylic tile, photography collage printed on window film adhered to plastic cylinder, LED light, acrylic on leather rope, 28 x 8 x 8 inches.
Dario Mohr, Ɔhemmaa, 2023. Custom made Finial commissioned from Accra, Ghana (IG: @dotcomarts), light cover, acrylic tile, photography collage printed on window film adhered to plastic cylinder, LED light, metal vase, acrylic on leather rope, 10 x 2.5 x 1.5 inches.
Dario Mohr, Ɔhene, 2023. Snow globe, acrylic tile, photography collage printed on window film adhered to plastic cylinder, LED light, acrylic on leather rope, 25 x 8 x 8 inches.
Dario Mohr, Obosomfo 1, 2023. Acrylic tile, photography collage printed on window film adhered to gold painted metal object, broken hourglass, chain, wooden drawer, object assemblage, LED light, acrylic on leather rope, 16.5 x 8 x 8 inches.
Dario Mohr, Pɔnkɔ 2, 2023. Chains, trophy piece, wood, acrylic paint, acrylic tile, glass, incense burner lid, photography collage printed on window film adhered to plastic bucket, LED light, acrylic on leather rope, 13.5 x 12 x 12.2 inches.
Dario Mohr, Abankɛseɛ 2, 2023. Miniature Asante stool (sourced from Kumasi, Ghana), marble, object assemblage, photography collage printed on window film adhered to glass, LED light, acrylic on leather rope, 12.5 x 9.5 x 5 inches.
Back:
Dario Mohr, Agokansie, 2023. Wooden pillar, stone mask, acrylic paint, coconut, photography collage printed on window film adhered to plastic cylinder, acrylic on leather rope, glowing speaker and audio recording: Conversation with guides Confidence and Evans of Ucomeafrik, 72 x 16 x 16 inches.
Image Description: An aqua pedestal and concrete blocks with seven small sculptures made with various objects and light inside. To the back, a tall pillar sculpture made out of wood colored green and gold, with blue light from inside.
Event Photography by Mila Wong and EFA Project Space
