Arts and Culture 6 Finding Home Again In the Davidson Art Gallery

It is easy to associate art with century-old paintings and sculptures, but Jacolby Satterwhite’s exhibition “Finding Home Again” in the Davidson Van Every/Smith Galleries proves the ever-expanding boundaries of contemporary art. Satterwhite is an American artist who incorporates a variety of themes into his work, including fantasy, sex, and technology. Do not expect an ordinary gallery visit; this is an immersive experience that draws the viewer in with music, neon lights, video, and even virtual reality. Don’t miss these three artworks during your visit!

“Finding Home Again” features two neon artworks, the smaller one holding a more personal meaning to the artist. Hands and Wrist consists of two lines of red and green text: “we are in hell when we fail to exist / we are in hell when we nail hands and wrist.” This ominous statement is actually sourced directly from one of Satterwhite’s late mother’s drawings. Patricia Satterwhite practiced art and music as a means of dealing with mental illness, which the artist honors by incorporating decades of her creations into his. Thus, the font of the neon signs is based on Patricia’s handwriting, and even recordings of her voice can be heard in the music playing throughout the gallery.

Satterwhite created an album, “Love Will Find a Way Home,” which plays in conjunction with the digital animation series Birds in Paradise. The series is a major feature of the exhibition, spanning three different walls. On each wall, two videos are paired together to create a 20-minute long visual and auditory experience. Nude bodies, winged creatures, and natural disasters create an imaginary universe of shocking imagery. Satterwhite tackles prominent issues in America in his artwork while also reflecting personal mythologies. He references African history and queer culture throughout his work to express both of these elements; for example, in one video, Satterwhite is dancing in a Brooklyn nightclub which was once a place of irrepressible expression for the LGBTQ+ community.

Venturing further into the idea of a created universe, “Finding Home Again” also features a virtual reality installation titled We Are in Hell When We Hurt Eachother. After putting on the VR headset, you are immediately transported to a 3-dimensional green landscape. Looking around (the chair swiveling while you move), you are surrounded by robotic feminine Black bodies. While some scenes of Birds in Paradise were strikingly sexual, this is not at all eroticized. The figures sway and dance to funky edm music playing through headphones, some beginning to grow so large that they extend toward the sky. As relevant as ever in an age of AI and video games, this VR scene reflects an appreciation and celebration of Black women.

“Finding Home Again” is truly a unique exhibition, transporting viewers to a different universe. In a largely autobi-