Balance was a virtual exhibition hosted by the Chan Gallery of Pomona College. Ise Sharp (PO’21) and Alex Dean (PO’22), curators of the show, decided on the title Balance as it seemed extremely fitting during the pandemic, a time when all sense of normalcy has been disrupted. “At times of extreme uncertainty, we seek a sense of order and normalcy that allows us to regain control over certain aspects of our lives. For artists, creating work can provide us with a feeling of normalcy and purpose, it can balance our bodies, our emotions, and our daily routines.” Featuring works from 12 students across the Claremont Colleges, the exhibition explored different artistic approaches towards the concept of balance, as well as its unique meaning and significance to different individuals.
For the opening reception, Ise, Alex, and I initially planned to host an online meeting via Zoom, inviting participating artists to talk about their works and answer questions from the viewers. After further discussion, however, we decided that another online event may not be the best idea, especially given how exhausted we already were by the exclusively virtual learning experience of the fall semester. Instead of a Zoom meeting, Professor Lisa Auerbach suggested that the opening could be a more transient experience, one that everyone could participate in simultaneously without communicating with one another. We decided that the opening was to be 5:15pm PST, a time of both the sunset and the moonset in Claremont, and participants and guests were invited to mark this moment of balance regardless of where they were. I found this symbolic approach both poetic and refreshing. Echoing its title, the opening prompted everyone to take a break from their “Zoom fatigue” and use the opportunity to seek their own balance between their internal experiences and external circumstances.
Apart from the unique opening, we also decided to record and upload our discussion as curators and organizers along with the student artworks on the Balance website. We hope to provide more context and add conversation to the exhibition by reflecting on our curating and organizing process and talking about the individual works. With everything moving online, we had to adapt to new ways of presenting works, which proved difficult at times. For example, Ise and Alex talked about the challenges they faced when creating the website, as neither of them were that familiar with the platform provided. We agreed, however, that the results were beautiful and extremely rewarding. Overall, we were all very impressed by the works of participating artists, both technically and in terms of the diversity in their visual and conceptual approaches.