“FUTURES” – at Fountain House Gallery, 702 Ninth Avenue at 48th Street, NYC

On view: January 20 – March 2, 2022 /Reception: January 20, 6-8pm

Curated by Barbara Pollack

Post-2020, predicting the future is perhaps an antiquated game, given how the sudden onset of the pandemic surprised all prognosticators. Combining boundless imagination with low-tech materials, the nearly 20 artists of Futures create a new way of dealing with our hopes, fears and anxieties, conjuring visions that cannot be seen through telescopes or crystal balls. From apocalyptic nightmares to over-the-rainbow fantasies, the artworks in this exhibition underscore the limits of politicians, scientists and astrologers to find a new way of envisioning imminent change. Only artists, like these, seem capable of creating images that are dynamic and capture the diversity of the future, or more accurately, “futures,” since this holds a different meaning for each. 

Futures is curated by Barbara Pollack, co-founder of Art at a Time Like This, a nonprofit platform serving artists and curators in the 21st century, as they live through crises and comment on social issues; she will serve as the lead curator of Mirror Image: A Transformation of Chinese Identity, opening at Asia Society in June 2022. 

Commenting on selected works in the exhibition, Pollack said, “Susan Spangenberg’s Octomission creates a vision of a super-powered octopus soaring through the sky, made using buttons and fabric, and highlighted by colored pencils and magic markers. Richard Courage has painted his own set of Tarot cards, such as Eve entwined with a snake in The World. Maria Bronkema’s watercolor, Robbie’s Dream of the Future, is uplifting – a child’s fantasy of animals let loose from the zoo. Zeus Hope’s intricate drawings of gods and goddesses command attention, though simply rendered in white gel on black paper.”

Additional mediums represented in the show include mixed media, fabric, acrylic, and photography.

This program is funded, in part, by generous support from the Renate, Hans and Maria Hofmann Trust, the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, the David Rockefeller Fund, and the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund.

About Fountain House Gallery: Fountain House Gallery and Studio provides an environment where artists living with mental illness can express their creative visions and exhibit their work. Founded by Fountain House in 2000, the Manhattan-based Gallery sells original artworks and collaborates with a wide network of artists, curators and cultural institutions. The Studio, located in Long Island City, is a collaborative workspace that furthers the professional practice of our artists. Embracing artists who are emerging or established, trained or self-taught, Fountain House Gallery cultivates artistic growth, makes a vital contribution to the New York arts community, and challenges the stigma surrounding mental illness.

Note: Masks and proof of vaccination are required for entry to Fountain House Gallery.