Tropical Lab
Abigail Drapkin is a second year MFA student who was selected by the Painting + Drawing faculty to attend Tropical Lab 12 at LASALLE College of the Arts in Singapore this summer. Her participation was supported in part by our School's Rollin Austin Scholarship Endowment. The theme for this year's Tropical Lab was Sense, and it took place July 20 through August 2. At the end of the two weeks, there was a group exhibition showing work created while there. Drapkin had this to say about the experience:
My two weeks in Singapore this summer were full of surprises. Along with 23 other artists — from as near as California and as far as Australia, Switzerland, and Japan — I was welcomed into a meticulously organized, generously supportive, and overall eye-opening experience. From the food to the climate, the modern architecture to the diverse meshing of cultures and histories, Singapore was the perfect environment to heighten my senses. We were taken on daily excursions to visit a mythological theme park, a wetlands reserve, numerous art galleries, museums, and artist lectures. A few days seemed to stretch to eternity and we were given time, space, and resources to create work without limits or parameters. The two weeks culminated in the curation and opening of the exhibition Sense at the Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore, located within LASALLE's campus. I look forward to keeping in touch with the friends I made through Tropical Lab, spanning across country borders, and continuing to seek out opportunities for valuable cross-cultural exchange.
A video produced after Tropical Lab 12 also provides an overview.
Exhibition
Drapkin has created new work since Tropical Lab that was inspired by the experience. She is sharing those artworks along with the work she made in Singapore in an exhibition titled Landscape and Memory at the School's Sand Point Gallery. Join her for a reception on Monday, October 22, from 6–9pm. If you cannot make it during the reception, contact her for a viewing appointment through November 2.