Saya Woolfalk. The Empathics

This fall season, the Montclair Art Museum (MAM) proudly presents Saya Woolfalk: The Empathics, the second exhibition in MAM's New Directions series, which showcases emerging and mid-career contemporary artists. It will feature new work by the Brooklyn-based multimedia artist and will mark her first solo museum exhibition. On view September 28, 2012–January 6, 2013, the exhibition is organized by Alexandra Schwartz, MAM's curator of contemporary art and founder of the New Directions series, with Kimberly Fisher, curatorial assistant.

Blending fantasy, humor, and play, Woolfalk's art draws on anthropology, mythology, and fashion to present a fantastical world that encourages us to consider our most pressing societal issues, particularly concerning cultural difference, in a new light. The exhibition at MAM spotlights her current, science fiction-inspired project, "The Empathics." The titular Empathics are a fictional group of women who, the artist imagines, blend racial and ethnic identities as they metamorphose, taking on characteristics of both humans and plants. The Empathics' physical transformation is a parable for societal change; it expresses the hope that, in our increasingly global society, cultures will develop better understanding, or empathy, for one another.

The Empathics' story unfolds in the form of a fictitious ethnographic display—yet with kaleidoscopic colors, patterns, and textures unique to Woolfalk's extraordinary vision. The exhibition is "lent" by the Institute of Empathy, a fictional museum and research center run by and dedicated to the study of the Empathics, and is complete with dioramas, artifacts, and even wall labels written by the Institute. Together, these elements present an immersive environment that addresses the distinctive imagery, symbolism, and folklore of this unique, cross-species culture.

Woolfalk's colorful installation includes human-scale, fabric-based sculptures, some of which double as costumes in her innovative performances; intricate paintings; thought-provoking videos; and interactive web technologies. Several of the installations at MAM incorporate handmade paper that Woolfalk created during her 2011–2012 Workspace Program residency at Dieu Donné Papermill. In all her works, Woolfalk utilizes rainbow hues and exuberant patterns and synthesizes references to diverse sources such as Native American artifacts, Japanese kimono fabrics, West African textiles and regalia, Brazilian Carnival costumes, Buddhist tanka paintings, and European illuminated manuscripts. The exhibition at MAM will feature new, specially commissioned work, including sculptures inspired by the Museum's collection of Native American art, videos for the permanent outdoor monitors on its grounds, and a performance developed and performed by the artist in collaboration with students from Montclair State University's Department of Theater and Dance.

Saya Woolfalk
The Empathics