How a stream of maggots, toys and Tic-Tac-Toe bring diversity to art at C3 Lab
If you want to be mesmerized, April Marten’s ceramic and video creation, “Food for Thought,” just might do the trick. Even a stream of maggots wriggling in projection form across a plate can be beautiful. (I think.)
Gallery C3's latest exhibition @c3lab_charlotte is mesmerizing. Opens tomorrow. Details to come in @Charlotte_Five pic.twitter.com/XUlQBGX9rJ
— Katie Toussaint (@katietoussaint) November 3, 2016
Or perhaps still art is more your speed — like Michele Hoffman’s “Toy Tantrum” displays. “Bang Bang” is an assemblage of toys coated in paint and “Riot” is another assemblage of toys depicting law enforcement. Both bleed undertones of the recent protests in Charlotte.
Or maybe you’re a little more hands on, and would prefer playing Bree Stallings’ work made from paint on wood: “Unwanted Southern Conversations Interactive Tic-Tac-Toe Game.” Think racial tension and drugs.
The work of 16 artists, including these, is being unveiled at Gallery C3 at C3 Lab Friday, Nov. 4. The exhibition, “Intersection,” features a bunch of new and diverse works from the artists who use the C3 Lab coworking space as their creative space.
“I think art speaks to people in different ways,” said Glen Nocik, owner of C3 Lab with his wife Maria. “And that’s the one thing Maria and I try to be open to, and sensitive to — how diverse things can be.”
They wanted to thank the artists who hold studio space at C3 Lab in South End by offering a platform for their work. They push for “inclusivity” in their alternative gallery, for artists and art-admirers alike.
“We’re all artists, we’re all trying to create and show the world things and a piece of us, a part of us,” Nocik said. “So that’s the hurdle we want to get rid of.”
It helps that the space is so accessible. C3 Lab is right around the corner from the Charlotte Rail Trail and is part of the monthly South End Gallery Crawl, too. (The crawl is the first Friday of each month, with the November crawl falling fortuitously on Nov. 4.) Since it’s embedded in a coworking culture, the gallery has a laid-back, open-to-anyone vibe.
Get there
The opening reception is Nov. 4 from 7-10 p.m. with complimentary beer and food at C3 Lab, 2525 Distribution St.
Can’t make it? No worries, the exhibition is on display Nov. 4-23 and Gallery C3 is holding open gallery hours Tuesday-Friday during that time frame from 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Wander in.
Photos: Katie Toussaint
This story was originally published November 3, 2016 at 11:00 PM with the headline "How a stream of maggots, toys and Tic-Tac-Toe bring diversity to art at C3 Lab."