Quodlibetica originated from the desire to write about art and visual culture in ways not confined by academic conventions or journalistic hype. Part journal, part blog, Quodlibetica fosters critical conversations about visual arts in a forum that is accessible, engaging, and committed to quality writing. Based on the Latin quodlibet, which has entered the English language as (1) a statement proposed for disputation, (2) the actual discussion, and (3) the whimsical combination of familiar elements, Quodlibetica is a space to argue eloquently and whimsically about art, find out what’s happening in the Twin Cities art scene, and engage with writers, artists, and critics, who like to think. Contact us if you want to get involved.
Jerome Catalog 2009
In this constellation, I have gathered the five catalog essays that I authored for the exhibition of the five Jerome Fellows in the Visual Arts. The exhibition is scheduled to open at mcad on October 2, 2009. The constellation includes the original press release announcing the 2008-09 winners.
Christina Schmid
Official Press Release, October 29, 2008
MINNEAPOLIS—The Minneapolis College of Art and Design is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2008–09 MCAD/Jerome Fellowships for Emerging Artists. They are Evan Baden, Barbara Claussen, Kirsten Peterson,
Benjamin Reed and Lindsay Smith. The MCAD/Jerome Fellowship Program provides each recipient with a $10,000
stipend and opportunities to discuss their work with [...]
Published 9.19.2009
In October of 2008, five Minnesota artists were notified that they had been selected from a pool of 317 applicants to receive the Jerome Foundation’s fellowship for the visual arts. The jurors who chose these five artists were Paul Ha, Director of the Contemporary Art Museum in St. Louis, Sara Krajewski, Associate Curator at the [...]
Published 9.19.2009
Ever since the telephone started its long ascent to the apex of cultural commodities doubling as fashion accessories, its rise has been greeted with a mix of scorn and delight. In The Telephone Book, Avital Ronell relates a New England incident, in which Puritans fought to have the domestic location of the telephone legally restricted. [...]
Published 9.19.2009
You do not have to identify as a technophile to be in awe of what technology has allowed us to see. From distant galaxies to intracellular activity, liquid crystal displays and imaging techniques based on magnetic resonance, the field of visibility has expanded exponentially as a result of technological progress. Much still remains invisible, though, [...]
Published 9.19.2009
“Don’t believe them,” the voice whispers before a male baritone decisively states, “there will be consequences.” Another voice loudly exhorts the values of loyalty, allegiance, and obedience, while slyly promising prosperity in between. Then, a barely audible whisper: “Be careful.” Pitting these utterances against each other serves as the soundtrack to Barb Claussen’s most recent [...]
Published 9.19.2009
On June 24, 2009, the U.S. men’s soccer team shocked the sports world by winning 2:0 over Spain’s national team. Soccer, a sport that usually does not garner the brightest spotlight in the U.S. media, suddenly rose to headline status on front pages; winning will do that, especially in a country whose competitive culture hardly [...]
Published 9.19.2009
Games of make believe have long propelled the human imagination and given rise to a unique genre of literature: speculative fiction. Of particular interest in this wide-ranging genre is the kind of speculation rooted in contemporary reality and, more often than not, current anxieties and hopes. When pursued into possible futures, these scenarios become all [...]
Published 9.19.2009