Image courtesy of the artist
Voroboros by Adrian Wood will be on view from April 5-20, 2024 at New City Arts’ Welcome Gallery. This new, experimental video work unfolds in three parts that explore survival under capitalism.
New City Arts' Welcome Gallery
114 3rd St. NE, Charlottesville, VA 22902
First Fridays
April 5 from 5-7:30PM; Artist talk at 6PM.
Free and open to the public. All ages welcome.
Gallery Hours
Wednesday-Saturday from 10AM-5PM
Exhibition Events
Gut Flora: Queer Dance Party | April 18 at Welcome Gallery | 8-11PM
Visitor Guide
What you'll see: Walking into Welcome Gallery, visitors are met with a ceiling-to-floor curtain of silver fringe that divides the space in two. To the right, five framed process sketches are installed along the wall. To the left, several sets of prints are displayed on a table. As visitors pass through the curtain, they see an assemblage of synthetic and organic materials—a representation of an important prop in the film. Beyond the assemblage, Voroboros, an experimental short film that unfolds in three parts and explores survival under capitalism, is projected on a piece of plexiglass suspended from the ceiling by chains. Visitors are invited to sit in the three wooden chairs positioned on a round rug in front of the film. Three framed portraits of characters from the film hang on the wall to the right of the chairs.
Please note: Voroboros explores survival under capitalism through self-consumption and includes mature themes. A series of vignettes evoke the feeling of eating oneself to survive through myth, emotion, history and biology. Some content, such as narrated and captioned historical descriptions of the consumption of humans, may not be appropriate for all ages. Close adult supervision is necessary as some work is within reach of young children.
Listen to the Exhibition Playlist 🎧
This exhibition is supported by Annie Galvin and the Bama Works Fund of Dave Matthews Band at the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation.
Exhibition Statement (courtesy of the artist)
Voroboros (2024) is an experimental short that explores survival under capitalism through self-consumption. A series of vignettes evoke the feeling of eating oneself to survive through myth, emotion, history and biology. Ultimately, the film concludes with visions of life beyond survival.
The first part, eating, explores the myth of Erysichthon from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, who fells the favorite tree of Demeter. Enraged, Demeter sends Famine to infect Erysichthon, who finally resorts to eating his own body.
The second part of the film, being eaten, takes form as a vignette in which dancers at a rave must feed parts of themselves to the speaker in order to keep the music going. If the music stops, they die. The cycle of consumption repeats into infinity.
The third and final part of the film moves in and through these cycles of self-consumption, seeking inspiration from the natural world. The final images attempt to decenter individual suffering by nurturing a relationship with the environment, including the others with whom it is shared.
About the Artist
Adrian Wood (they/them) creates soundscapes, videos, transmissions, and live works that emerge from sonic collisions of identity and landscape. Adrian’s work centers the ear, drawing listeners in using sounds of water and wind, howls, whispers, seismic vibrations, and archival audio to explore invisible forces and histories that shape our social, ecological world. Deep listening partners with action in Adrian's social practice. As a social practitioner, Adrian has led soundwalks, experimental vocalization workshops, professional development activities as well as co-founding a DIY environmental justice storytelling podcast in 2017 and a regional queer farmer convergence in 2022.
Exhibition photos by Jesús Pino Photography.
Located at 114 3rd St. NE on Charlottesville’s downtown pedestrian mall, New City Arts’ Welcome Gallery supports artists who live in the Charlottesville area. Welcome Gallery exhibitions and programs are made possible by generous sponsors, donors, and grants. Interested in sponsoring an exhibition? Connect with us!