LOOK! – On the Nature of Perception

Co-Curated by Olivia Brewin, Kennedy Cardenas, Connor Choy, Hannah Emmerson, Chelsea Rose Farinaro, Tayla Grainger, Gabi Guevara, Vivina Juarez, Eugene Kim, Anna Ledbetter, Sweet Lou Mader Dauk, Mya Mannoni, Bella Ocana, Arianna Patterson, Nicola Trojovsky, and Sloan Watson.

LOOK! – On the Nature of Perception is a socially aware exploration of the theme of perception, both in formal and conceptual terms.

Perception allows us to consciously recognize the environment we live in by processing external information received through our senses; however, this is also influenced by our internal cognitive processes, including attention, memory, and expectation. As such, perception of the world changes based on our knowledge of and exposure to various topics, events, beliefs, and attitudes. In turn, this leads to the formation of realities that are subjective to each of us, and which may vary greatly from person to person depending on their unique circumstances, socio-cultural background, and individual interpretations. 

The works in this exhibition revolve around this idea of perception, with some exploring how to bring emphasis to mundane or subtle visuals through a focus on the perception of space, depth, texture, patterning, and other forms of pictorial representation. In a similar but different veil, many of the works use this pictorial representation to address and bring attention to topics that are often overlooked, including inequality, oppression, assimilation, disruption, and violence, events which are often particular to the artists’ own experiences, and which have influenced their reality.LOOK! – On the Nature of Perception challenges viewers’ assumptions about the world around them, presenting alternate imagery and meanings to question the reliability of our own conditioned perceptions of the world. This exhibition acts as a thought-provoking and engaging exploration of the complex relationship between representation, perception, and reality, demonstrating the vital role that art plays in communicating narratives, displaying heritage, challenging dominant perspectives, and pushing the boundaries of our own worldviews.