Emerson Contemporary

Georgie Friedman: Hurricane Lost
2021-01-27 08:00 - 2021-04-04 17:00 (America/New_York)
Exhibition imagines a better future as it dramatically visualizes extreme weather phenomena.

Georgie Friedman: Hurricane Lost transforms the entire Emerson Contemporary Media Art Gallery into a singular site-specific, fully immersive, sculptural video installation referencing our changing climate and extreme weather.

Boston Globe Review by Cate McQuaid

WBUR radio Feature by Amelia Mason

The eight sculptural video forms that comprise Hurricane Lost span the gallery’s 1,700 sq. ft. floor-plan and rise upwards toward the 20 ft. high ceilings. A soundscape created by indie sound artist Radio Sloan swirls around visitors as they choose their own path through the visual storm. The video forms of Hurricane Lost are based on the shapes of hurricane cloud walls, while their spatial layout mimics the circular wind patterns. As visitors intuitively navigate the curved video-covered sculptures, they are invited to contemplate their relationship to both the natural and built environment. According to Bradbury, Hurricane Lost inventively addresses the climate crisis not by providing more scientific data, facts, and figures, but rather by enticing a visceral, emotive response through an immersive sound and light environment.

Presented in conjunction with the 2020-2021 national Feminist Art Coalition (FAC) project, the exhibition references our changing climate and extreme weather phenomena from rapidly melting glaciers and resultant sea-level rise, to warming oceans, which increase the intensity of hurricanes and lead to more frequent, and more-often-catastrophic weather events. Visually metaphoric and experiential, Hurricane Lost captures the inherent power of nature and visualizes the effects of our changing climate. Despite its meditative, aesthetically provocative presentation, Hurricane Lost serves as a powerful call to action as it asks whether we can imagine a different, better future. And if so, whether we are willing to change the way we act and make the choices needed to get us there, Bradbury said.

This exhibition received funding support from the Mass Cultural Council.

About the Artist

Georgie Friedman (USA) is an interdisciplinary artist whose projects include large-scale video installations, single and multi-channel videos and several photographic series. She is interested in our psychological and societal relationships to mild and severe natural phenomena. She investigates a wide range of powerful atmospheric and oceanic conditions, and is fascinated by the power of these natural elements in relationship to human fragility. She utilizes photography, video, sound, installation, engineering and the physics of light, all in order to create new experiences for viewers.

Friedman is currently based in Boston, MA and has lived, worked and exhibited nationally and internationally. She has been commissioned to create site-specific video-based public art pieces and has exhibited in national and international venues. Friedman earned her MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in conjunction with Tufts University and her BA from UC, Santa Cruz. She is a Lecturer in the Art, Culture and Technology program at MIT, and her previous teaching appointments include: Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston College, LUCAD, and The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, among other institutions.
