Nothing Is
Image info:
(left) Leon Alesi, Evidence Archival Inkjet Print, 20” x 30”, 2020
(right) Amy Bench, Under a Calcareous Sky, Archival Inkjet Print, 20" x 20", 2021
Nothing Is
Exhibition Dates: March 5-April 3, 2021
The journey, the process, the times in between, the present moment in which we find ourselves:
Nothing Is features photographs, video and installation works by Leon Alesi and Amy Bench. These works deconstruct and reassemble artifacts, transitional objects, talismans, and icons as expressions of momentary (or eternal) tension. For his process, Leon seeks out landscapes that exhibit a definitive presence and ancient permanence. Foraging artistic material within the confines of his neighborhood, Leon assembles forgotten cultures and histories out of the residual evidence. Through assemblage, Leon’s works reveal the spirit of the natural world, while his photographs provide an artifact of the future ruins of our civilization. Amy’s work focuses on the transitional space between earth and the heavens, and the evolution of the soul in its journey. The notion of marching to the beyond guides questions of cosmic consciousness, the pursuit of spiritual lightness or refuge, and divine destiny. The work is an exploration of inexplicable phenomenon, a search for lingering evidence of the departed. The passage of time is a strange celestial road.
The artists collaborated with composer Curtis Heath and designer Lisa Laratta on video and installation pieces.
Leon Alesi is an artist living and working in Austin, Texas who uses his practice to cultivate a deeper connection and understanding of his immediate surroundings.
Amy Bench is a Texas-based filmmaker and visual artist drawn to stories of community and resilience. Her animated documentary A Line Birds Cannot See won special Jury Recognition at SXSW, and is now available on The New Yorker, where it received the 2020 Ellie Award for excellence in digital magazine journalism. She was the cinematographer on Trans in America: Texas Strong, which won an Emmy for Best Original Short Documentary in 2019, and 2 Webby Awards. She has spent the last year quietly working films ranging from immigration to climate change to family dynamics, and making images and video art to process extraordinary loss.
Press
The Austin Chronicle “ICOSA Gallery Flows Like a River of Creative Glory” April 2, 2021 Review by Wayne Alan Brenner
Austin Monthly “5 Must-See Austin Exhibits to Visit in April” April 8, 2021 By Molly Todd
*This project was supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department.