Trisha Donnelly's Mysterious Renaissance Society Exhibition

Trisha Donnelly's 2008 exhibition at the Renaissance Society in Chicago, curated by Hamza Walker, was marked by deliberate obscurity. At the opening, the gallery was plunged into darkness, with only a few candles on cocktail tables for light. Drawings were hidden behind small partitions, and the lower parts of windows were removed, letting wind in. Walker read a poem, music volume fluctuated, and a fourth candle was added at 5:30 pm. Donnelly refuses documentation of her 'demonstrations,' preferring word-of-mouth. Her videos, drawings, photographs, and sound pieces exhibit a discreet aesthetic that Jan Verwoert termed 'anti-materialist materialism' (Frieze, September 2005). By daylight, the exhibition revealed two wooden panel sculptures at the entrance, evoking initiation rituals. The panels had hollowed areas with enigmatic forms. Partitions at the four corners hid minimalist drawings. Two office chairs were present: one with a large piece of leather with lines, the other serving as a pedestal for a projector showing a video of pink digital snow with green lightning, suggesting a white Cadillac floating in space, referencing Daan van Golden. Donnelly explores epiphany through occult rituals, initiation, psychedelia, the paranormal, and rock 'n' roll. The exhibition ran from February 24 to April 6, 2008.