Pick of the Litter

by A.D. Amorosi

art Eventually, every great building in Philadelphia will become condominiums. Before it happens to the National Products Building in November, the art and design network of InLiquid.com—a nonprofit whose virtual realm serves as an informational hub for artists both local and international—will host a nonvirtual week of exhibitions, installations and concerts. Curated by MIT/ University of Iowa media "biologist" Ebon Fisher and InLiquid"s Emily Zimmerman, "HYPER-RUNT" utilizes the talents of its diverse universe of local artists (painters like Timothy Bowen, photographers like Zoe Strauss, sculptors like Chris Vecchio) in combination with world-regarded new-media lights like klip//collective and Caterina Verde (whose work is pictured) to assault what Fisher designates as post-human artificial life forms—"a future in which the paradigm of art and civilization gives way to a hyper-biology of emergent processes." "HYPER-RUNT" responds with assembled works that transgress a number of borders in the modern, Western world view and most significantly the divide between nature and culture. "HYPER-RUNT refers to an anomaly or unintended consequence that emerges out of the creative process, therefore occurring in all media," says Zimmerman, pointing to the show"s Tasting Menu for Geese and People by Natalie Jeremijenko as the strongest example of the anomaly. "Technology can be seen as a hybrid of a tool"s materials base and its process," she says. While Zimmerman is pleased that musicians, DJs, performance artists and filmmakers (look for Frames, a documentary about Grahame Weinbren"s installation) have thrown themselves into domains digital and analog, she"s delighted to be part of the National"s storied history of contributions to Philly arts. "New media has had so little exposure, it"s wonderful to mark the transformation of this building by bringing relatively unseen work to the area."

"HYPER-RUNT," opening reception, Fri., Oct. 8, 7-10 p.m., exhibition through Thu., Oct. 14, National Products Building, 109-131 N. Second St. (entrance at 119 Arch St.), 215-592-1310. For a full schedule of events, see www.inliquid.com/ hyper-runt.