Bridge Residency

In natural systems, the space where two distinct ecosystems intersect is called an ecotone and several species and characteristics of both habitats can be found in this in-between area. This transition space blurs the perceived borders of the world, and hosts a more inclusive, fluid, and populated space than the coldness of a “boundary” implies.

Rather than having isolated increments or “seasons”, our Bridge Residents serve to link together our seasonal arcs. These Bridges are gifted with a doubly fertile environment with two batches of collaborators to interact with and benefit from.

Summer-Fall 2022

KIKÙ HIBINO

Japanese-born sound artist Kikù Hibino produces electronic music that focuses on unusual rhythmic structure and melodies that are inspired by optical illusion and moiré patterns.

From chamber music for media productions to digital micro sound for art installations, he has collaborated internationally with a wide variety of artists and scholars, including Yuge Zhou, Mitsu Salmon, Kawaguchi Takao (Dumb Type), Theaster Gates, Mike Weis (Zelienople) and Norma Field.

His work has been shown in Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, Experimental Sound Studio, Chicago Cultural Center, Three Walls, Compound Yellow, Elastic Arts, Hairpin Arts Center, Hyde Park Art Center, Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, among others. He’s a 2017 Individual Artist Grant recipient from Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, 2021 Outer Ear Artist in Residency at Experimental Sound Studio, and 2021 nominee for Best Asian Entertainer at Chicago Music Awards. Kikù lives and works in Chicago.

The publication, The Wire (U.K.) once described his music as "trying to cram in as many memories as possible before it all disappears" and that the music "concerns itself with themes of capturing and preserving fleeting moments" (2007, issue 279).

He studied electronic music composition at Keio University Shonan Fujisawa Campus with Toru Iwatake, Atau Tanaka, and Christopher Penrose, and at University of California at Santa Barbara with Curtis Roads and Karen Tanaka, and holds M.A. in media art and technology.

In 2021, Kikù and his creative partner Gregory Bae launched S/N, an electronic music concert series.

During the residency, Kikù will compose two multi-channel electronic music works. Florasonic sound installation at Lincoln park conservatory that will be opening in June 2022. And a sound art piece centers around Greg Bae's visual art work "Ex Radios," which will premiere at MCA in July 2022.

Summer-Fall 2021

Javier Jasso

Spring-Summer 2021

Madeleine Aguilar

Winter-Spring 2021

Marianne Fairbanks

Holding Patterns

Inspired by the beauty of weaving notations, Marianne Fairbanks has repositioned traditional weaving language into large and graphic scrims, full of dynamic patterns and saturated colors.

The window installations refer to textiles as the material of curtains and the weaving patterns that might adorn the woven fabric. Rather than being woven with thread, these traditional American overshot patterns have been translated by Fairbanks into large laser cut patterns on a painted, non-woven polyethylene (commonly known as Tyvek).

The patterns of weaving are systems of binary code; when represented on gridded paper, a black square indicates the warp is over the weft, and a white square indicates the weft is over the warp. The simplicity of this equation holds infinite potential for pattern and interlacements. The drafted patterns are the mathematical instructions passed down over time and place. These patterns can be adapted by each weaver through the use of color, repeat, scale and size of material and ultimately end use of the textile created.

These works celebrate the complexity of the weaving patterns, and the ingenuity and generosity of the weavers who developed them and historians who compiled them