Overview:

“We are living now inside the imagination of people who thought economic disparity and environmental destruction were acceptable costs for their power. It is our right and responsibility to write ourselves into the future.” ~adrienne maree brown

 

Speculative artwork allows us to envision the future, but this genre is dominated by dystopia– notably cyberpunk and steampunk. Though many of these works offer scathing critiques of colonialism and capitalism, the repetition of this imagery makes it easy for audiences to romanticize and aestheticize these critiques instead of engaging with them. In visual arts, dire warnings get lost in the allure of cybernetic partners and elegant Victorian costumes. “Solarpunk” was devised as a genre of speculative fiction to counter these narratives, and will be the theme for our April show.

 

We can’t be what we can’t see. As fascism destroys our social systems, the ability to imagine a way out is vital– we cannot simply return to the neoliberal structures that failed us and allowed the climate crisis in the first place. Imagining better is difficult, radical work– perhaps more difficult and more radical than critique. What does a liberated world look like? How will we live? We invite artists to share their visions– from grounded to fantastical, of a better world, grounded in justice and restorative systems of living in harmony with nature. 

 

Are you unfamiliar with solarpunk or not sure what counts? Feel free to use the following as reference:

 

Theory & Philosophy:

• Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene, Donna J Haraway

• Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmer

• Emergent Strategies, adrienne maree brown

• From Steampunk to Solarpunk, John Roberts (the original blog post that coined this term.)

• What If We Get It Right?: Visions of Climate Futures, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

 

Film:

• Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind, Dir Hayao Miyazaki

• Messages from the Future (I & II) Dir Molly Crabapple

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Accepted Mediums & Scale Recommendations​:​

We are open to a wide range of media, including traditional (painting, sculpture, fiber, drawing, book arts etc) and new media (sound, photography, animation, film & video, interactive art) as well as installation work. For this call, we are particularly interested in illustration, narrative, and sequential art. Performance works that also have a strong visual component that can live in the gallery without the performance itself are welcome. We cannot host any art in our space that would potentially rot or attract pests. Please pitch bio-art with caution.

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We are not interested in Generative AI-Assisted work and have serious concerns about the environmental impact of this technology at this time among other ethical concerns.

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All works should be able to fit through a standard residential door frame. We do NOT have a loading dock or ramp.

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Please note the Crow's Nest has minimal technology resources, including a single media player and projector. Additional technology needs should be thoroughly described in the Tech Rider, as well as plans and suggestions to access said technology.

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If work is to be listed for sale, we will take a 20% gallery fee. Work is not required to be listed for sale.