New Art Exhibit at Gallery QI Explores the Body, the Virus and the Resistance
This winter, the Qualcomm Institute (QI) and Gallery QI embark on a timely exploration of what it means to resist infections—both literal and figurative—in three works informed and forged by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The exhibition, ANTIBODIES, is currently on display in Atkinson Hall. QI will hold an in-person, public welcome event on Thursday, February 24 at 5 p.m. PST, featuring presentations and a panel discussion, followed by a reception in the Atkinson Hall courtyard.
In their first shared work, Michael Trigilio, associate teaching professor in UC San Diego’s Visual Arts Department, and Bobby McElver, acting associate professor of sound design in the Department of Theatre & Dance, display an installation made specifically for the space at Gallery QI. The installation consists of a large projection of Verse One for the Ten Grounded Stacks, an eight-minute single-channel video that hails from Trigilio’s recent body of work (Unmake the Uncosmos, Ecstatic) and interweaves themes of societal collapse and resistance. McElver’s 64-channel wavefield-synthesis technology mixes and spatializes Trigilio’s sound-design and original music in the gallery space.
ANTIBODIES also features Anti-Plague, a simulation video game developed by new media artist Trish Stone and Sijie Liu, Yixing Wang and Hainan Xion, former undergraduate students and interns with the QI Academy. The game is a critical response to Plague Inc., a popular video game that challenges the player to create and spread a deadly pathogen worldwide. Conversely, Anti-Plague uses real-world data to simulate the effectiveness of social distancing, stay at home orders and mask wearing at varying population levels and timeframes. The game will be on display in the front hallway in Atkinson Hall and is playable online.
Finally, as part of the welcome event, visitors will have the unique opportunity to experience Music for Courtyard, a new installation by composer, sound designer and producer Shahrokh Yadegari. Working within COVID-19 guidelines, Yadegari uses six speakers across the Atkinson Hall courtyard to create an atmospheric environment that can be enjoyed while social distancing. His latest piece joins a portfolio that includes productions, compositions and designs that have been presented in countries around the world.
The welcome event will be accompanied by a live stream. All visitors can view the gallery remotely through a virtual camera option.
Those attending the February 24 event in-person are requested to RSVP through galleryqi@ucsd.edu.
All in-person events at Gallery QI follow current UC San Diego recommendations on campus safety, including requirements for personal protective equipment while attending indoor events. You can review campus safety protocols on the UC San Diego Return to Learn website.
ANTIBODIES will be on display daily Monday to Friday, from noon to 5 p.m. through Friday, March 11.
Gallery QI events are free and open to the public.