Two new window art installations are available for the public to view for the next six months as part of the Ion District’s rotating art installation program entitled "Eye on Art."
The display, “Creation, Current, Solution,” was made by artist Kill Joy, and "The SpLaVCe Program" was created by Christopher Blay.
“Creativity plays a vital role in fostering innovation, and we’re honored to provide artists like Christopher and Kill Joy with a platform to serve as an inspiration for the entire innovation ecosystem here at the Ion,” Ion Executive Director Jan Odegard said in a news release.
The details
Blay is one of the two artists whose art was chosen to be on display at the Ion District’s windows.
- His work, he said, reflects the conditions that have been part of Black life in America, from triumphs of culture to sociopolitical situations. Blay’s display, “The SpLaVCe Program,” he said, is a combination of a slave ship and a spaceship exploring the African diaspora.
- Blay’s ongoing series and latest body of work, “The SpLaVCe Program,” collaborated with the Ion Prototyping Lab, and used canvases and wood frames to create an innovative, cohesive piece that combines elements of slaving vessels and spaceships into one object that symbolizes where the Black community has been and where they are going.
Kill Joy's window display at the Ion, “Creation, Current, Solution,” is an animated puppet installation exploring how society can advance as a global community, seen through the lens of Filipino folklore.
- The piece centers on indigenous experience by exploring regional mythology and how it speaks to living situations. It is an exploration of destiny for people and planet, and how society can construct technological advancements for sustainable living conditions, according to a news release.
Her work is grounded in honoring the earth and seeking environmental and social justice. Her practice centers around relief printmaking, mural painting and puppet making; and throughout her work, she focuses on the belief that the deliberation of all human beings corresponds to the freedom of the land, water and air, where greed and contamination are replaced with love and compassion, she said.
Zooming out
The last installation as part of the rotating program at the Ion, Efflorescence, opened to the public March 30.