Songs of Fire, on view through July 9 at Sophie’s Artist Lounge, features 21 American artists from different disciplines in a “celebration against a backdrop of knowing uncertainty.”
Co-curators Torie Zalben and JPW3 initially planned the exhibit for a space in Los Angeles, but after they learned that the site was being demolished, they reenvisioned the show with more St. Louis artists and proposed it to The Kranzberg Art Foundation. The St. Louis location also allowed the development of the show to happen organically. “It allowed the show to breathe, and it allowed it to be what it became which was just a community happening and a beautiful contemporary art show,” says Zalben.
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The curators spent several months selecting the artists, who provided the curators with one to three selected works. “We would meet to discuss which works were in conversation with one another,” says Zalben. “We wanted to host an array of mediums and include artists from our personal networks, as well as to represent a roster including Los Angeles and New York. Our primary focus, however, was St. Louis and its rich culture.”
In these conversations, they found that trauma and grief were reoccurring themes in the work, as well as using art as a tool that turns emotional experiences into physical ones. It was after the themes were identified that the name of the show surfaced. Zalben explains: “We want Songs of Fire to be the alchemy that represents a time and place, that addresses challenging topics, and that provides a space where all that can be felt can be transmuted into healing acts of change.”
The Artists’ Room at Sophie’s has also become the “Release Room,” an interactive installation by St. Louis-born artist Aaron Fowler, during the exhibition. Fowler’s immersive space invites visitors to release a balloon, which will gradually fill the space to turn an individual action into a community experience.
“The very location of the gallery, less than a block away from the Washington Tabernacle church where Martin Luther King Jr. spoke twice, is a powerful embodiment of the community and history of St. Louis. The exhibition is also near many of St. Louis’ art institutions and museums and sits facing a historical residential neighborhood that goes back generations,” says Zalben. “We wanted to invite the community into a space that all could enjoy. We also wanted the works to provide solace and comfort during these uncertain times and for visitors to dance among the varied media and leave with a renewed sense of hope and transformation.”
Songs of Fire runs at Sophie’s Artist Lounge from Wed–Sat, 5 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. until July 9. A live DJ plays from 9 p.m. – 1 a.m., and table reservations are available with a beverage minimum.
