A new area for installation art is opening in Seigfred Hall.
The new space, an unused ticket booth outside of Mitchell Auditorium in Seigfred Hall, has been opened for art at the request of Yoshitomo Saito, a sculpture professor, and Petra Kralickova, the gallery director.
This was a dead place
Saito said.
The ticket booth was filled with janitorial supplies and stools.
School of Art Director Bob Lazuka said he could not remember the booth being used for ticket sales in the 20 years he has been at Ohio University. Although many events have been in the auditorium, most have been free to the public or open only to students, and none required ticket sales.
Both Kralickova and Saito approached Lazuka about the space, and they cleaned it out and readied it for use.
Saito has installed a piece made of wax bamboo stalks and bamboo leaves in the space.
It's not really like my official show but like an advertisement for the space he said.
The space will be open for use by professors or students who wish to display work, but the exact process has not been decided.
It's not all figured out yet
Kralickova said.
Anyone with an interest in using the space probably will have to submit a proposal. Work placed in the space will be displayed for about a month.
Saito said he was excited about the possibilities for the space.
That kind of place should be utilized for an artistic purpose
Saito said.
Saito, who lived in San Francisco, came up with the idea to use the space from his experiences in the city. Closed storefronts often would be turned into exhibit spaces for artists.
When Saito came to Athens, he noticed the ticket booth and thought it would make an excellent space for an exhibition.
There's this exchange between inside and outside
Saito said, referring to the nature of a ticket booth. It's a perfect metaphorical sense to me.
The only restrictions on the space other than the cramped dimensions would be noise or smell. The booth is located right next to the auditorium, which is used for lectures.
This is not an isolated place
Saito said.
Kralickova said she is hoping to find some interest in the booth and to gather ideas for exhibits to put in the space.
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