Long Island City Artists @ The Plaxall Gallery presents Escape Velocity, a Sci-Fi themed fine art exhibition including three original feminist sci-fi one-act plays from The Navigators Theater Company.

 

Opening reception is Friday, April 13, 7pm-10pm at 5-25 46th Avenue in Long Island City, NY.

 

In this multifaceted curated group exhibition, contemporary artists from across the NY Tri State area are inspired by science fiction’s capacity to imagine new realities, both utopian and dystopian. Works on view depict unique artistic landscapes exploring parallel universes, alternative realities and perspectives surmising on the past and the future. Artists utilize science fiction to suggest diverse modes of existence and represent everything "out of step" and alien to our traditional ways of being in the world. Visual Artists include: Adrian DiMetriou, Artem Mirolevich, Bonnie Rothchild, Carol Crawford, Daniel Ludlow, David Vigon, Daniel Sinclair, Danielle Draik, David Tommasino, Dirk Rowntree, Ellen Stedfeld, Felix Sherman, Graham McCarty, Greg Hildebrandt, Howard Stevens, Isaac Roller, J F Bautista, Jacob Hicks, Jada Fabrizio, Jean Foos, Kaiser Kamal, Mafe Izaguirre, Max Tzinman, Michael Connors, Michael Sheng, Nancy Bruno, Nobuko Saji, Rosanne Ebner, Sachiyo Takahashi, Sharon Taylor, Steve Palermo, Tessa Kennedy, Yelena Tylkina, Tanya Leyva and Zoran Crnkovic.

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A featured artist of Escape Velocity is Greg Hildebrandt, best known for his JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings paintings and most notably the original 1977 Star Wars movie poster. Hildebrandt’s paintings on display will include Marvel Comic covers, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire and this beautiful 1976 CL Moore book cover. Catherine Lucille Moore is one of the first women to write science fiction and fantasy and Hildebrandt’s work on this cover perfectly captures her story and this era.

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Women authors have been at the heart of science fiction since its earliest stages including authors like Mary Shelley and Sara Coleridge, author of the first fairy-tale novel, Phantasmion (1837). The Navigators Feminist Sci-Fi Theater takes us to the next dimension with presentations of three short Sci-Fi themed plays starring female protagonists. There will be a preview performance on Opening Night @8:00pm as well as ticketed shows on Fri/Sat/Sun, April 20-22, & 27-29. (http://www.navigatorstheater.com)

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A unique kinetic installation in Escape Reality, Sachiyo Takahashi’s installation Everything Starts from a Dot, is inspired by abstract visual artists, most notably Wassily Kandinsky. “Everything Starts from a Dot” is a performance with live projection and object manipulation in live space. The project is currently a work-in-progress and will premiere in November 2018 at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club (Manhattan). This exhibit represents a small excerpt of the show. Pieces are controlled by pulleys and motors simulating the movement of the performer and choreography of objects. There will be a 20 minute performance on Opening Night @7:30pm; CosmiConte is a visual-auditory story told through live projection and live music, featuring Korean musician Gamin (Concept, Visual and Sound Design, Choreography: Nekaa Lab / Sachiyo Takahashi,Technical Advisor, Builder: Willie Gambucci. Everything Starts from a Dot is supported by The Jim Henson Foundation.

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Escape Velocity offers viewers a wide range of science fiction culture through paintings, drawings, sculpture and Sci-Fi theater.

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Long Island City Artists Inc. (LIC-A) is a not-for-profit arts advocacy group, proud to be supporting artists in western Queens since 1986. Now with the help of Plaxall Inc., LIC-A is providing needed space for other organizations in fine art, theater, dance, local PTA and Girl Scout troops, LaGuardia ESL classes, children’s workshops and much more. 

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The Plaxall Gallery

5-25 46th Avenue, LIC, NY 11101

347-848-0030

www.licartists.org  

Gallery Hours:

Thursdays, 6pm to 10pm

Saturday & Sunday, 12pm to 5pm