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126, Artist-run gallery
Queen St. Galway, Ireland 091569871 contact@126.ie Wed – Sat, 1-6pm or by appointment |
  126 is supported by the Arts Council, the Galway City Council and our membership |
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126 presents:
Holding Pattern
Recent works by Jon Sasaki.
Runs July 14th through August 14th, 2010.
Opening reception: Wednesday July 14th, 7pm.
126 is proud to present Holding Pattern, recent works by Canadian artist Jon Sasaki. This is the artist’s first solo exhibition in Ireland and Europe. Through performative video, found objects and installation pieces the work addresses stasis, irresolution, expectations both dashed and pending, and the unsustainability of indecision.
Holding Pattern highlights the tension between humour and discomfort. Acknowledging the absurdity inherent in life, the work is often both Sisyphean and slapstick, there is equal measures of pathos and dry humour. The main focus of the exhibition is an inflatable “flyguy” wired up in front of a motion sensor. Sasaki presents the viewer a tragicomic installation, in which the “flyguy” writhes on the ground, convulsing in front of the motion sensor. If he were to stop for a moment, the power would shut off and he would fall still forever. Using video and found objects, the other works included in Holding Pattern present conceits which are unresolved, such as an obsoleteY2K mascot contemplating his future prospects, and moments unrequited, such as in the vintage unfulfilled dance cards, which have languished for decades having never served their sole function. Although the work might appear cynical on the surface, it is an earnest celebration of tasks undertaken with the foreknowledge of probable failure, but carried out with perseverance and unabashed optimism.
Working in the vein of “romantic conceptualism,” Jon Sasaki utilizes primarily performance-for-video, objects, installations and interventions in work that mixes humor and pathos, often with gently antagonistic results. His work has been presented in recent solo exhibitions at Centre Clark (Montreal), Latitude 53 (Edmonton) and The Doris McCarthy Gallery, (University of Toronto at Scarborough, a touring exhibition for which there will be a forthcoming catalogue.) He has participated in recent group exhibitions at VOX (Montreal), The Vancouver Art Gallery, the Owens Art Gallery (Mount Allison University, Sackville, NB), Simon Fraser University Gallery (Burnaby, BC), as well as the 2006 and 2008 editions of Toronto’s Nuit Blanche. Jon was an active member of the Instant Coffee art collective between 2002 and 2007. He is represented by Jessica Bradley Art + Projects (Toronto).
126 was established in 2006 by local artists in their own living room as a response to the need for more non-commercial gallery spaces in Galway and is currently located on Queen Street in the city centre. 126 is a voluntarily led, artist-run gallery that is known for promoting challenging and experimental works that would not be seen in commercial galleries or conventional institutions. 126 is supported by the Arts Council, the Galway City Council and its membership.
