Olympia

Thursday, January 7 - Sunday, February 21

701 Center for Contemporary Art
701 Whaley Street, Coumbia, SC
(803) 779-4571

A train track runs through it - that is, through Olympia, the gallery-wide installation at 701 Center for Contemporary Art in Columbia, S.C., conceived and constructed by artists Gwylène Gallimard and Jean-Marie Mauclet. Near the track are a gravel pit, a library, a public space for real meetings and events and a large graphite drawing on canvas of cotton pickers. There are sculptural renditions of Olympia and Granby Mills, the 701 Whaley building and of Olympia Village, with eleven sculptures based on historic and more recent types of buildings in Columbia's old mill village. Condensed and reconfigured, Olympia represents the French-born, Charleston artist's impressions of the mill village, past and present - impressions developed during their October - December 2009 residency at 701 CCA.

This Olympia will be bustling throughout the exhibition like 701 Whaley, the home of 701 CCA, once did as the neighborhood's community center. "The many functions of the 'Pacific Community Association Building', which is now 701 Whaley, have influenced the layout of the show," Gallimard and Mauclet say. "As artists we are researchers, fabricators and community stimulators. The many activities in and during the installation are not simply activities in conjunction with the exhibition but social activities as an integral part of the installation." Spoken word and music artists will perform during the opening reception. Community groups can meet in the installation's public "square." The library of donated books and documentation will provide a free book and picture exchange.

Each Wednesday night, there will be a lot of talk. An expert will discuss whether this is art at all. Olympia villagers will share their memories. An anthropologist will talk about mill village culture. Gallimard and Mauclet will discuss how they developed their art business as socially engaged installation artists. The artists also will discuss with the public why and how they did what they did in and for the exhibition. Columbia citizens get to speak out about what they would like the city of Columbia to do for the arts. And at the end, everything has to go! During a live auction, individual parts of the installation will be sold.

In the exhibition, and eventually for sale, will be a large, solid but transparent sculpture in three parts made of polyurethane resin, a liquid rubber. Embedded in the parts are architectural elements with images transferred onto them representing physical and human components of Olympia and Granby Mills, 701 Whaley and the Olympia neighborhood.

Olympia Village will consist of a small "forest" of wooden sculptures with small buildings whose physical characteristics extend to their relatively tall base, which forms an integral part of the object. Included are the quintessential shot-gun shack, a duplex home, a mobile home and the heavily buttressed union building at Olympia Park. Those sculptures, too will go on the auction block.

SPONSORS:
Exhibition and Reception Sponsors
Linda and Bill Stern

Artist Residency Sponsors
City of Columbia
Alternate ROOTS

Special thanks to Vulcan Materials Company, Emily Littlejohn Israel, Jamie Hendrick, Richard Irwin and the Dawsey Sunday School Class of Washington Street United Methodist Church for their loans and donations to the installation.

Gallery Hours:

Wednesday 11 am - 8 pm
Thursday - Saturday 11 am - 5 pm
Sunday 1 pm - 5 pm

MORE EVENTS:

Wednesday, Jan 13 7:30 pm

But Is It Art?
A guided tour by South Carolina State University art historian Frank Martin


Wednesday, Jan 20 7:30 pm

I Remember When...

An evening of memories of Olympia and storytelling led by Doug Schueler.


Wednesday, Jan 27 7:30 pm

Art and the Culture of Mill Villages.

A presentation by USC anthropologist Jonathan Leader.


Wednesday, Feb 3 7:30 pm

Galleries? What Galleries?

Based on their own approach, Gallimard & Mauclet discuss art business beyond the gallery.


Wednesday, Feb 10 7:30 pm

But Why Did You...?

Gallimard & Mauclet answer your questions about their exhibition.


Saturday, Feb 13
11 am - 5 pm

Voices and Visuals from the Mills.

Songs about the mills from the Smithsonian Institution collection; films about the South and the 1934 mill strikes; discussion following the program with Tom Terrill.


Wednesday, Feb 17 7:30 pm

What I Want The City Of Columbia To Do For The Arts Is...

Columbia citizens take five-minute turns at an open mic to explain what they want the city to do for the arts.


Monday, Feb 22
TBA

Everything Has To Go!

Selling off parts of Olympia by live auction.