1401 Lake St.
Eric Edingerg and Stephanie Smith, hosts
Kevin Valentine, artist
Mat Rappaport & Anne Stevens, curators
The Structure of Memory
Description
Fallen branches are lashed together to create a structural environment dedicated to the widows of Iraq. The created space is for contemplation, remembering sacrifices made, representing the complexity and hollowness of life after conflict, but also for hope, rebuilding and peace.
These found sticks and driftwood were used by participants in drawing symbolic lines in the sand in memory of and solidarity with the millions of uncounted widows from decades of strife in the Middle East. Each branch is dated and signed by participants who marked half-a-million lines in the beaches of Chicago, Evanston and elsewhere over several years.
Bio
Kevin Valentine works across disciplines creating work in paint, print, video, performance and installation. He has a BA in Art and Philosophy from Principia College, an MEd from Loyola University and an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts & Media from Columbia College Chicago. Valentine’s Widowsweave project, the first project for his Artistactivist organization, highlights the living conditions of the overlooked survivors of Iraq’s thirty years of turmoil. Widowsweave project is the natural outcome of twenty years of art focusing on the relationship between the U.S., Iraq, and justice.