Problem Plants
Another Medium post from Ellie, on her weed garden and closing panel at CSAA:
The non-native interlopers who’ve taken up residence in the harsh urban environment of Bushwick aren’t pushing out native species, they’re filling empty niches. Adapted to difficult conditions, with flexible reproductive habits and opportunistic growth patterns, these urban plants are much better-suited to living side by side with Homo sapiens, despite our indifference to (or even aggressive dislike of) them.
The Battle for Yesterday’s Nature, Next-Nature, & Whatever Comes After That
Ellie wrote about the climate debate within the climate movement:
After the failures (Copenhagen) and painfully slow progress (Cancun, Lima) seen at recent U.N. Climate Summits, we know we can’t trust our political leaders to get us there. The mass movement Naomi Klein speaks of shows its face here and there, but in my milieu, I see much more of the infighting, cynicism and turning away. Of course the movement Klein describes has to come from the grass roots level, not from academia, but we can’t just fight the status quo without a solution in mind. As she acknowledges, we need a destination to aim for, and a set of solutions to put in place once we get there.
Events for Thursday January 8–Jan 13, 2015
Funny, the last time I posted about events here I mentioned how infrequently I post about events here. At least this time it’s not about Open Studios. With that out of the way, there are five exhibitions and a record release that I want to point out:
- Ellie Irons is in Systematic Sampling, a group show at Stream gallery that opens tonight (tonight, as in Thursday, January 8th!), 7–9:30pm off the J/M/Z Myrtle Broadway stop in Bushwick.
- Zach Nader’s channel surf opens at Microscope Gallery on Friday, January 9th. You may have seen Nader’s car commercial video which made the rounds a while back.
- Netart badass Marisa Olson has a solo exhibition, Getting Ready, at Transfer Gallery, closing reception is on Saturday, January 10th, 7–11pm.
- Meanwhile, on the other side of Bushwick, Outlet gallery is opening Mark Dorf and Julian Lorber’s Second Nature, January 10th, 7–10pm.
- Also closing soon, that I haven’t made it out to yet, is Sebastião Salgado: Genesis at the International Center for Photography, which is across the street from where I work so no excuses here. Through this Sunday, January 11th.
- Hairy Sands are releasing their new album, Tears at a show at Trans-Pecos in Ridgewood, Queens (also convenient for me). Tickets are $8, doors open at 8pm on Tuesday January 13th.