Adam Farcus: My Universe and Yours

August 25 - September 13, 2009

Curated by Kendra Paitz

University Galleries of Illinois State University is pleased to present My Universe and Yours, an exhibition of recent work by Adam Farcus, from August 25 through September 13, 2009. Farcus is an alumnus of Illinois State University.

My Universe and Yours, which spans Galleries 2, 2.5, and 3, provides an overview of Farcus's varied thematic explorations. He transforms everyday materials with a sincere blend of wit and poetic longing, tapping into our collective (and often overlooked) sense of fantasy; excavating his own family history; and playfully intervening in our dominant consumer culture. A piece of cardboard—folded, pierced, and painted black—becomes one's personal section of the night sky when hung just below the ceiling lights and given a poetic title: The Sky I Was Born Under. A projected still image of the artist in a self-made wolf mask, entitled Farkas (Wolf), is the artist's attempt to understand his family heritage: Farkas, the original spelling of his surname, means "wolf" in Hungarian and references an ongoing family debate over its origins in Hungary or Poland. For his Walgreens Interventions Farcus inserts his own unsigned artworks into photo frames available for sale in Chicago-area Walgreens stores, subverting typical art market channels and democratically distributing his artwork.

Adam Farcus lives and works in Chicago. His work has been exhibited at the Hyde Park Arts Center, Chicago; Second Bedroom Project Space, Chicago; McLean County Arts Center, Bloomington, IL; and the Miami Bridge Art Fair, Miami. He received his M.F.A. from the University of Illinois at Chicago, his B.F.A. from Illinois State University, and his A.A. from Joliet Junior College.

Exhibition Documentation

Exhibition Photos