Mar 20th 2011

Jessica Bruah: Wisconsin Dells, 53965

@ ACRE Projects

1913 W 17th St, Chicago, IL 60608

Opening Sunday, March 20th, from 4PM - 8PM

On view through Monday, March 21st

Wisconsin Dells, 53965 is part art show, part postcard writing get-together. Jessica Bruah is looking to transform all gallery spaces into makeshift post offices and tourist gift shops- at least temporarily. Her images on the wall are presented alongside mass-produced postcards. Viewers are encouraged to mail out as many postcards as they are willing to write before leaving the show.

Bruah is drawn to esoteric tourist destinations with unique histories, especially during the quiet off-season. She is interested in the human need for escapism paired with the continuing wish to connect amidst solitude and physical separation. She started photographing the Dells region in 2008. Inspired by H. H. Bennett, the first photographer to heavily document the Dells, she explores the new and man-made parts of this destination that was once only known for it’s unique sandstone formations. Echoing Bennett’s interest in promoting the region through mass-produced imagery, the images on the walls are also shown as part of a postcard installation. While mimicking how a tourist spot depicts itself to the world, Bruah hopes to raise questions of promotion and interpretation.

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