"CHAMBER 2"

March 5 - 26, 1994

press release:
CHAMBER is a 7,5000 square foot exhibition space located at 128-132 Chambers Street (on the corner of West Broadway) in Manhattan. Formerly the Marine Midland Bank, the space has been donated temporarily by the owner. Until it is rented, it will be used for exhibtions, perfomances, lectures, etc.

CHAMBER 1, the first show, ran from November 5 through December 15, 1993, and featured performance, sculpture, painting and photography by eleven artists.

CHAMBER 2 will open Saturday, March 5, 1994, and run until March 26. Hours will be Wednesday through Saturday from noon to five.
Unlike CHAMBER 1, CHAMBER 2 will utilize the entire space, will include thirty one artists, and will be comprised of several aspects:

COUNTER SPACE
Given the plentitude of horizontal surfaces in the bank, and in keeping with its paper and document orientation, all of the counters, desks and drawers will be populated with artist's books, promotional materials, and paperweight sized objects. The viewer is invited to sit at a desk and leaf through its contents. The intimidating aspects of standing before an art object in a sterile gallery setting are compared with the intimidating aspects of sitting before an administrative officer's work station.

ALIENATED LABOR
Scattered throughout the exhibition will be pairs of objects by artists who must do something besides their art to make a "living". An art object will be paired with a relic from the artist's job. Creativity is not limited to one's artwork. An examination of the strategies artists use to make this "living" would be enlightening, given the stigmas attached to those who have not made "it". Very few resumes on file at establishments like Artist's Space give details about artist's attempts to simultaneously live, work, and work. The dialogue between an artist's art and (h)er/is "work" is fascinating (especially when the artist is allowed to decide how to represent (h)er/is own job.

INSTALLATIONS
Many of the rooms and offices scattered around the periphery of the bank will be occupied by installations. Artists will use the architecture, furniture, and other items found already there to explore a variety of themes.

PERFORMANCE
IN THE BANK, performances created by Stuart Sherman for CHAMBER, will be presented Saturdays, March 5, 12, 19, 26.

CHAMBER is neither a commercial nor non-profit organization. It is a temporary one. As a consequence, events at CHAMBER are limited to a human scale.

CHAMBER is interested in proposals for exhibitions, lectures, performances, etc.