Momenta, multi-media artist Lauren Kasmer’s solo exhibition presented by El Camino College Art Gallery is a rich virtual delight that runs online through May 9th. This weekend, the experience becomes even more immersive – and is one well-worth staying home for, even as the world reopens. Performances, readings, and special announcements are part of the program, curated by Susanna Meirs.
The exhibition’s five main moments, which I have written about previously, are: the lush visual narrative of a poetic video exhibition, Mount; Wardrobe, with its highly tactile photographically printed garments; Equipoise, a meditative photographic installation with personal collaborative and interactive elements; and the photography of Collaboration at a Distance, and Flourish from Fire, the latter of which is comprised from stills of the Blind Courier exhibition installation project that Kasmer presented at the Brand Library in 2019.
Each of these unique elements of Momenta share the emphasis on social practice and viewer participation that Kasmer has epitomized throughout her artistic journey, and this weekend’s scheduled acts and spontaneous Moments is Alive interactions will bring virtual viewers into the artist’s viscerally realized world as she had intended it to do had the exhibition proceeded in a public IRL opening.
Kasmer will also unveil a new book based on the exhibition. Already available is a limited-edition Viewmaster which she says is “intended to evoke the feeling of being in the presence of the elements via the use of an art object that you can hold in your hands, a contrast to this virtual exhibition.”
Between each scheduled act, there will be “Momenta is Alive” interludes. These interludes feature live spontaneous acts within the Equipoise installation including the musings, meditation, films, and performances.
SATURDAY MAY 1
9:50 am: Space opening
10 am: teacher and practitioner of East/West Modalities Deirdre Woode leads T’ai Chi
11 am: MOMENTA is Alive Interlude*
12 pm: Rob Klonel gives us a Drumming experience
1 pm: MOMENTA is Alive Interlude*
2 pm: art critic and writer Shana Nys Dambrot reads from her book Zen Psychosis
3 pm: MOMENTA is Alive Interlude*
4 pm: Matthew Rich and Miriha Austin perform Mixed media
5 pm: Space closing & a Momenta limited edition View-Master giveaway
SUNDAY MAY 2
9:50 am: Space opening
10 am: Monthira Soonthorsarathool leads Zumba
11 am: MOMENTA is Alive Interlude*
12 pm: Clayton Bonura reads Ekphrastic poetry
1 pm: MOMENTA is Alive Interlude*
2 pm: Douglas Wilcox presents Table Manners
3 pm: MOMENTA is Alive Interlude*
4 pm: Satoe Fukushima has Storytime with Misato & Chitose Iida.
5 pm: Space closing & Viewmaster giveaway
Exhibition viewable at https://www.laurenkasmersmomenta.com/
Momenta, Lauren Kasmer’s companion book for her exhibition, will be released in early June as a limited edition of 100 copies.
A small number of keepsake View-Masters will be available for sale on the Momenta website, each with a disk that includes images from the exhibition. A Momenta View-Master giveaway will be announced during this weekend’s livestream.
The link to the Momenta Livestream can be accessed at https://www.laurenkasmersmomenta.com/, the exhibition itself is viewable at the same location.
- Genie Davis; photos provided by the artist