Irrational Exuberance

Submissions Now Open for Irrational Exuberance: A Recession Art Show

April 30 - May 8, 2011 at The Invisible Dog

Accepting Work in All Media Including Painting, Sculpture, Photography, Performance, Installation, Video, and Short Film

About Recession Art Shows:
Visual artists who are accepted to a Recession Art Show receive a week-long exhibition at the Invisible Dog in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. Video artists and filmmakers who are accepted will receive one or more screenings during the week of the exhibition. Performance artists who are accepted will negotiate directly with staff to plan a performance schedule based on their needs.

In the past two years, Recession Art has built a community of emerging artists that goes beyond participation in a single show. Our curators use alumni artists for solo or two-person shows and studio tours for our collectors. Our publicity team is constantly promoting the activities of our alumni. And our art parties allow alumni artists to meet aspiring collectors and emerging curators firsthand. All artists accepted for Irrational Exuberance are invited to become a part of this community.

About Irrational Exuberance:
“Don’t stop believin’; hold onto that feelin’.” - Journey

In a December 1996 speech, then-Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan, posed a question that began: “But how do we know when irrational exuberance has unduly escalated asset value…?” This rhetorical question had widespread consequences with billions of dollars vanishing almost instantly, like magic. “Irrational exuberance” has come to symbolize the speculative excitement of asset bubbles. While such bubbles have existed for hundreds of years, what made Greenspan’s utterance memorable was its instantaneous effect on the global markets. It is clear that a few words can profoundly influence value, revealing the fragility of a system dependent on belief or a kind of mass delusion.

Irrational Exuberance is a show of art that deals with seemingly rational systems of mass belief, or delusion, and their relationship to values, whether economic or moral. Especially interesting are those pieces in which form is at odds with content, such as ecstatic depictions of pain, highly technical treatments of the intangible, or lavish renderings of the (supposedly) worthless. Additionally, installations or pieces that require mass participation will be given special consideration.

Selections will be conducted by the Recession Art Jury led by Guest Curator Bradley Bailey and Art Director Ani Katz. In addition, video art and short films will be considered by Film Curator Jesse Wakeman for screenings as part of the Emerging Filmmaker Program.

Irrational Exuberance will be held April 30-May 8 at The Invisible Dog in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn.

The deadline for entries is Monday February 7, 2011. The submission fee is $20. Artists will be notified of acceptance by the end of February.

Visit http://recessionartshows.com/submit to read the complete show description and terms and to access the Submission Form. Or email [email protected] with any questions.