Making Visible at Harlan Levey Projects

Artists: Constance DeJong, Günter Selichar, Ira Lombardia, Jonathan Sullam, Edwin Schlossbert, Suzanne Treister

Exhibition title: Making Visible

Curated by: Lara Pan

Venue: Harlan Levey Projects, Brussels, Belgium

Date: January 20 – March 23, 2024

Photography: all images copyrighted and courtesy of the artist and Harlan Levey Projects, Brussels

The title of this exhibition draws its inspiration from the seminal film crafted by Edwin Schlossberg back in 1969, a film that originated from a unique commission by the iconic Dilexi Foundation. The Dilexi Gallery, an avant-garde establish- ment nestled within the heart of San Francisco and operational from 1958 to 1969, holds a rich history. Its inception was the collaborative brainchild of Jim Newman, and artist and poet Robert Alexander, igniting an era of unparalleled creativity in the Bay Area and the expansive West Coast.

Making Visible is a cinematic endeavor that delves into the realm of McLuhanesque prophecies. Labeled as an es- sayistic exploration of communication theory, the film envisions the latent potential within the imperceptible realm of television’s material. As the cinematic journey unfolds, viewers are confronted with the profound notion: “In order to make this image visible to you, it had to become invisible.”

However, this exhibition extends beyond its cinematic origins. It serves as a profound inquiry into the interplay of perceptions existing between both sender and receiver. The focus transcends mere communication, delving into the intricate workings of the human mind when faced with the dichotomy of the seen and the unseen. Making Visible inge- niously navigates the intriguing avenues of how our cognitive faculties respond to visual and auditory stimuli, examin- ing the processing not only of imagery, but also the very essence of language.

One of my primary aims in this exhibition has been to explore how different perceptions can exist between the send- er and receiver, beyond the mere context of communication. How the brain reacts to the imagery of the seen and unseen, as well how we can process the voice or the idea of word as an experiment in the form of sound or a static image.

The exhibition captures the profound complexity of perception, a dance between the tangible and the abstract, and thereby challenges conventional paradigms of understanding. In essence, Making Visible: Bridging Perceptions stands as a testament to the power of art to transcend traditional boundaries. And the artists of this exhibition help us to discover a hidden political message, a voice from another realm, signs that could be confusing, and static imagery that bespeaks an invisible source. It beckons visitors to question the layers of interpretation and invites them to partake in an intellectual voyage that intertwines communication theory, sensory responses, and the fusion of various mediums. Through this exhibition, the invisible becomes the fulcrum upon which the visible pivots, and the audience becomes an integral part of the intricate dance between what is seen and what is understood.

– Lara Pan

Exhibition view, Making Visible, curated by Lara Pan, Harlan Levey Projects, Brussels, 2024. Photo credit: Adriaan Hauwaert. Courtesy Harlan Levey Projects

Constance DeJong, Golden Arvin, 2019, installation view Making Visible, curated by Lara Pan, Harlan Levey Projects, Brussels, 2024. Photo credit: Adriaan Hauwaert. Courtesy of the Artist and Bureau, New York

Constance DeJong, Golden Arvin, 2019, Re-engineered radio with amplitude-sensitive LEDs, audio, 12.7 x 20.3 x 12.7 cm – 5 x 8 x 5 in. Photo credit: Adriaan Hauwaert. Courtesy of the Artist and Bureau, New York

Constance DeJong, Frequency Hopping 2, 2019, Digital print with ink and pencil on lightbox, 46.4 x 59.1 x 4.4 cm – 18 1/4 x 23 1/4 x 1 3/4 in. Courtesy of the Artist and Bureau, New York

Ira Lombardia,Victoria, 2019, Photographic installation, 10 photographs, 317 x 60 cm – 124 3/4 x 23 5/8 in, Edition of 5 plus 2 AP (#4/5). Photo credit: Adriaan Hauwaert. Courtesy Alarcón Criado Gallery

Ira Lombardia,The Rest is History (MET, Statuary Hall), 2021, Polyptych, screenprinting over photogravure on Zerkall-Bütten paper and digital Interaction 204.4 x 162 cm – 80 1/2 x 63 3/4 in (framed), Edition of 3 plus 1 AP (#1/3). Photo credit: SCAD Museum of Art. Courtesy Alarcón Criado Gallery

Jonathan Sullam, Slow Burn, 2021, 8 Panels in aluminium, DMW, Arduino, neons and digital print, 300 x 250 x 30 cm – 118 1/8 x 98 3/8 x 11 3/4 in. Photo credit: Adriaan Hauwaert. Courtesy of the Artist

Jonathan Sullam, Fragments of now and then 2, 2024, Digital and silkscreen print on aluminium, 160 x 184 x 10 cm – 63 x 72 1/2 x 4 in. Photo credit: Adriaan Hauwaert. Courtesy of the Artist

Jonathan Sullam, Fragments of now and then 2, 2024, installation view Making Visible, curated by Lara Pan, Harlan Levey Projects, Brussels, 2024. Photo credit: Adriaan Hauwaert. Courtesy of the Artist

Jonathan Sullam, Fragments of now and then 3, 2024, Digital and silkscreen print on aluminium, 160 x 190 x 10 cm – 63 x 74 3/4 x 4 in. Photo credit: Adriaan Hauwaert. Courtesy of the Artist

Jonathan Sullam, Fragments of now and then 3, 2024, installation view Making Visible, curated by Lara Pan, Harlan Levey Projects, Brussels, 2024. Photo credit: Adriaan Hauwaert. Courtesy of the Artist

Edwin Schlossberg, D, 2006, Acrylic on canvas, 126.7 x 141 cm – 49 7/8 x 55 1/2 in. Courtesy of the Artist

Edwin Schlossberg, Making Visible, 1969, video, sound, 26 min 38 sec. Still image. Courtesy of the Artist

Günther Selichar, sources, 1993-1995, Series of 9 gelatin silver prints mounted on museum board, 32.6 x 58.4 cm – 12 7/8 x 23 in each, Edition of 7 plus 3 AP. Courtesy of the Artist

Suzanne Treister, The Holographic Universe Theory Of Art History (THUTOAH), 2018, installation view Making Visible, curated by Lara Pan, Harlan Levey Projects, Brussels, 2024. Photo credit: Adriaan Hauwaert. Courtesy of the Artist, Annely Juda Fine Art, London and P.P.O.W. Gallery, New York

Suzanne Treister, The Holographic Universe Theory Of Art History (THUTOAH), 2018, Single-channel video with sound, 16 min 54 sec, with sound 51 min 16 sec. Still image. Courtesy of the Artist, Annely Juda Fine Art, London and P.P.O.W. Gallery, New York. THUTOAH was developed as part of the Collide International Award, a partnership programme between CERN (Geneva) and FACT (Liverpool). It was co-produced by ScANNER (the Science and Art Network for New Exhibitions and Research), composed of FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology, Liverpool); Arts at CERN, Geneva; Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB Centro de Cultura Contemporánea de Barcelona); iMAL – Art Center for digital cultures & technology, Brussels; and LLU (Le Lieu Unique, Nantes).