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Home › News & Events › News › Gary Setzer Goes to Venice

Gary Setzer Goes to Venice

December 9, 2021
School of Art Professor Gary Setzer discusses his experience of having a project accepted and exhibited at the recent Biennale Architettura 2021, a prestigious, global event in Venice, Italy.

Setzer and Dan Majka of The Nature Conservatory created “The Corridor: Climate Change, Border Permeability, and Ecosystem Resilience” that asks as climate change alters habitats and disrupts ecosystems, where will animals move to survive? And will human development prevent them from getting there? “The Corridor” is an installation that uses three-channel video and sound to address the relationship between border permeability and ecosystem resilience in a time of climate change.

The Biennale Architettura 2021, curated by Hashim Sarkis, was on view from May 5 – Nov. 21, 2021, and was themed “How Will We Live Together?”

The Corridor: Climate Change, Border Permeability, and Ecosystem Resilience, 2021. Video Still showing projected animal migration routes in the northern portion of South America. Courtesy of Dan Majka & Gary Setzer.

Setzer and Majka created an exhibition floor plan that facilitates a symbolic passage for viewers – their movement through the various stations of the installation parallels the directed movement of animals through a wildlife crossing structure. Viewers are led to an immersive map replete with a dynamic visualization of animal migration data in North and South America. Setzer and Majka created the video using data from scientists at the Nature Conservancy together with researchers at the University of Washington.

Under climate change, animals will be required to move and adapt to new habitats at a rate never seen on Earth. This installation articulates the dramatic urgency of the situation.

“My experience has been that the projects in the Biennale Architettura largely emphasize concept and meaning in the same way that visual art does,” said Setzer. “It asks big questions in the same way. I see it as conceptual architecture, and from where I stand it doesn’t feel that different than an installation art exhibition. I think that is why there is such a rich history of visual artists being participants in the Biennale Architettura.”

Setzer earned the Provost Faculty Award for Innovation in Teaching in 2020.

The Corridor: Climate Change, Border Permeability, and Ecosystem Resilience, 2021. Production Video Still. Courtesy of Dan Majka & Gary Setzer.
Setzer discusses his experience

How did the partnership come about with Dan Majka of The Nature Conservatory?

Dan is a conservation scientist and technologist for the Nature Conservancy, and for a time, he worked out of their Tucson office. We met in Tucson on Craigslist, of all places. I was trying to start an electronic music project and Dan replied to the posting. We had tried out several projects, but the only thing that ever stuck was our friendship. I’m a vegan and Dan is a vegetarian—and I’d say that a lot of our friendship centered on eating. Tania’s 33, Rocco’s Little Chicago, and Le Cave’s Bakery were our go to Tucson places.

Dan left Tucson in 2012, but we stayed in touch over the years. When the opportunity to collaborate on this project surfaced, we were both all in.

The Giardini’s Central Pavilion
Credit: Photo by Francesco Gally, courtesy of La Biennale di Venezia.

How cool is it to have a project at the Biennale Architettura 2021?

When you’re roaming about the streets and piazzas of Venice, it’s easy to get caught up in the allure of the city knowing that Michelangelo, Leonardo, or Titian may have stood exactly where you’re standing. I’ve been to numerous Venice Biennales over the years and every time I would walk through those spaces would just drool thinking about what it would be like to exhibit in spaces of that caliber. So, it is surreal. Our installation is in the Giardini’s Central Pavilion—the Biennale’s iconic exhibition space—and it’s just to the right inside of the main entrance. We were gobsmacked. None of it felt real for a long time. That surreal state was exacerbated because for months our involvement had to be kept absolutely secret until the Biennale made their official press release announcing the participants. So, it’s cooler than cool. It’s ice cold.

How did the concept of “The Corridor” evolve?

We began the project in August of 2019 with a series of Zoom meetings. This was before the pandemic and it was my introduction to Zoom—which, for obvious reasons, came in very handy. Because of COVID-19, the entire process from start to finish transpired over Zoom meetings, emails, and texting. One day our families will celebrate together, and it will, no doubt, involve burritos and doughnuts.

The theme of the Biennale Architettura this year was How Will We Live Together? It seemed pertinent that we keep that at the core of the project’s direction. Dan had been developing code to visualize data related to climate change induced animal migration for The Nature Conservancy. We decided that access to that data would give us a unique perspective in light of the theme. Our plan was to create an art installation that not only functioned on poetic and metaphoric levels, but that simultaneously served as a real call to action. With that as the premise, I started drawing.

The Corridor: Climate Change, Border Permeability, and Ecosystem Resilience, 2021. Installation detail of the funnel-like front chamber with its flanking animal procession videos. Courtesy of Dan Majka & Gary Setzer.

There were literally hundreds of drawings. I began by giving myself license to draw anything and everything that the installation could possibly be. Things that were not practical, affordable, or even remotely realistic. I would meet with Dan every few days to share the drawings and we would talk about what worked or didn’t work, and I’d go back to it. We were slowly carving the idea into something more concrete. All the while he was sharing articles and research with me in a shared drop box and it was fabulous fuel. When I would stray too far from the science, he would reel me in. When it felt too stiff like a PowerPoint presentation, I would reel him in.

Our attention gradually focused on animal land bridges—also called wildlife corridors. Crossing structures like these are one solution that ecologists have used to allow animals safe passage across hard boundaries like highways. The land bridge maintains the connectivity of the corridors that connect natural habitats. The permeability of human-developed borders is essential for the survival of animals, because as climate change intensifies animals need safe routes to migrate to cooler climates. Shortly after the exhibition opened the New York Times ran a fabulous piece on wildlife crossings, How do animals safely cross a highway?

The Corridor: Climate Change, Border Permeability, and Ecosystem Resilience, 2021. Installation detail of the rear chamber. Courtesy of Dan Majka & Gary Setzer.

Ultimately, we decided to design a video installation that facilitated a symbolic passage for the viewer—their movement through the installation would parallel that of the directed movement of animals across these funnel-like land bridges. The viewer moves alongside larger-than-life animals, situating them in the throes of the animals’ tenuous migration experience. The culminating video inside the corridor uses electrical circuit theory to show the average direction that over 2,900 animals in North and South America would have to move in order to adapt to climate change-induced habitat shifts.

What is the significance of the subject matter for you?

Humans are shortsightedly driving climate change through our own selfishness. Because of that, every habitat and every lifeform is at stake. I think humans have a responsibility to ensure the survival of other species we share the Earth with. With this project, we posit that to thrive together with nature in a time of intensifying climate change, we must reconsider how we incorporate permeability into borders and the matrix in between natural environments. Our fates and the fates of animals are indissolubly tethered. We’ve personified the animals—observably humans in costume—to that end.

This project has been made possible by donors to the University of Arizona College of Fine Arts Fund for Excellence, The Morgan and Salomon Professional Development Endowment at the University of Arizona School of Art, The Faculty Professional Development Grant at the University of Arizona School of Art, and the Nature Conservancy.

This article was written by Charlie Snyder and was originally published by Arizona Arts. See the original article here.

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University of Arizona School of Art with Arizona Arts at University of Arizona School of Art.
2 weeks ago
University of Arizona School of Art

We're so proud of all of our 2022 graduates! This one holds a special spot in our hearts. ❤️

Lauren Paun is graduating with her BFA in Art & Visual Culture Education (emphasis on Community and Museums) and 3D Art. She has been a student employee in the School of Art for two years, working with our social media accounts. You might have talked to her about being featured here! Lauren has been an integral part of our team, doing a lot of heavy lifting to find the fabulous work y'all are creating and sharing it here.

"I would just like to say how grateful I am for the opportunity to have had such an incredible position within the School of Art; I loved supporting and promoting the amazing artists that attend this school and feel so lucky to be able to learn and create beside them. I have loved every minute working here for the past two years and we'll miss it terribly-- but I am so excited to continue my journey and pursue my career in museums. A special thank you to my friends, family, professors, and supervisors for the constant love and support!!"

We could fill encyclopedias with praise for Lauren but hopefully this small note of gratitude can be enough. Good luck!! 🥺😭
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Were so proud of all of our 2022 graduates! This one holds a special spot in our hearts. ❤️

Lauren Paun is graduating with her BFA in Art & Visual Culture Education (emphasis on Community and Museums) and 3D Art. She has been a student employee in the School of Art for two years, working with our social media accounts. You might have talked to her about being featured here! Lauren has been an integral part of our team, doing a lot of heavy lifting to find the fabulous work yall are creating and sharing it here. 

I would just like to say how grateful I am for the opportunity to have had such an incredible position within the School of Art; I loved supporting and promoting the amazing artists that attend this school and feel so lucky to be able to learn and create beside them. I have loved every minute working here for the past two years and well miss it terribly-- but I am so excited to continue my journey and pursue my career in museums. A special thank you to my friends, family, professors, and supervisors for the constant love and support!!

We could fill encyclopedias with praise for Lauren but hopefully this small note of gratitude can be enough. Good luck!! 🥺😭Image attachmentImage attachment+4Image attachment
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Congrats, Lauren!! 🙌💐

Congratulations on a job well done. 👏Very proud of you and your accomplishments.

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University of Arizona School of Art with Arizona Arts at University of Arizona School of Art.
2 weeks ago
University of Arizona School of Art

Graduation celebrations continue! Let's hear it for one of our newest PhDs, Kasey Stuart! 🎓

"I'm Kasey Stuart and I am graduating with my PhD in Art History and Education. My research explores and questions preservice teachers' reliance upon social media as a resource for lesson plans. Currently, I am developing a program to help art educators critically analyze and amend lesson plans found online before they have brought into K-12 classrooms."

Thank you for doing this critical work that keeps teachers relevant to their students, while also making sure they are intentional and accurate!
... See MoreSee Less

Graduation celebrations continue! Lets hear it for one of our newest PhDs, Kasey Stuart! 🎓

Im Kasey Stuart and I am graduating with my PhD in Art History and Education. My research explores and questions preservice teachers reliance upon social media as a resource for lesson plans. Currently, I am developing a program to help art educators critically analyze and amend lesson plans found online before they have brought into K-12 classrooms.

Thank you for doing this critical work that keeps teachers relevant to their students, while also making sure they are intentional and accurate!Image attachment
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Congrats to Kasey!

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University of Arizona School of Art is at University of Arizona School of Art.
3 weeks ago
University of Arizona School of Art

We are so glad to see everyone enjoying the incredible work done by our MFA graduates in the 2022 MFA Show! Featured in the @uazmuseumofart is Venessa Ball and her intricate project titled Crosscut: Mining and domesticity, creating a life in spite of and because of the mine.

“As a mining state, Arizona is among the leading producers of copper in the United States.
These large operations required an extensive workforce, from laborers, to geologists, engineers, and company representatives. The mine would often provide housing, schoolhouses and
gathering spaces in the surrounding area, creating an entire town owned by the company itself. Like so many other small communities in America these “boomtown” economies were built on what they believed to be stable and consistent growth. Should the ore deposit run out or the company no longer have the funds to dig any deeper, what then happens to the community? What should also happen if the very commodity the mine needs to keep going just happens to be right under the ground on which they built the town? If you ask the former townspeople of Ray-Sonora, AZ… there is no more town. In 1966, their town was demolished to continue the mine operations.
Thirty years after Ray-Sonora was removed from the map, in 1996, the Magma Copper mine where my father and grandfather worked for decades—and that had provided so much stability for my family—officially closed, because it was deemed too costly to continue operations.
The only way my father could continue his career in mining was to relocate his family to another mining town. This wouldn’t be the last time this happened in my childhood. Chasing the ore was my father’s way of ensuring our family always had a stable and comfortable life.
The delicate patterns cut from family and historical photographs highlight the tension often felt by my family and so many mining families as they attempted to build a life in the shadow of a brutal and unstable industry, dependent on an unsympathetic capitalist economy.” - @venessaball
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We are so glad to see everyone enjoying the incredible work done by our MFA graduates in the 2022 MFA Show! Featured in the @uazmuseumofart is Venessa Ball and her intricate project titled Crosscut: Mining and domesticity, creating a life in spite of and because of the mine.

“As a mining state, Arizona is among the leading producers of copper in the United States. 
These large operations required an extensive workforce, from laborers, to geologists, engineers, and company representatives. The mine would often provide housing, schoolhouses and
gathering spaces in the surrounding area, creating an entire town owned by the company itself. Like so many other small communities in America these “boomtown” economies were built on what they believed to be stable and consistent growth. Should the ore deposit run out or the company no longer have the funds to dig any deeper, what then happens to the community? What should also happen if the very commodity the mine needs to keep going just happens to be right under the ground on which they built the town? If you ask the former townspeople of Ray-Sonora, AZ… there is no more town. In 1966, their town was demolished to continue the mine operations. 
Thirty years after Ray-Sonora was removed from the map, in 1996, the Magma Copper mine where my father and grandfather worked for decades—and that had provided so much stability for my family—officially closed, because it was deemed too costly to continue operations. 
The only way my father could continue his career in mining was to relocate his family to another mining town. This wouldn’t be the last time this happened in my childhood. Chasing the ore was my father’s way of ensuring our family always had a stable and comfortable life.
The delicate patterns cut from family and historical photographs highlight the tension often felt by my family and so many mining families as they attempted to build a life in the shadow of a brutal and unstable industry, dependent on an unsympathetic capitalist economy.” - @venessaballImage attachmentImage attachment+6Image attachment
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University of Arizona School of Art is at University of Arizona School of Art.
4 weeks ago
University of Arizona School of Art

“Small. Confused. And in Awe.”

In case you haven’t had the chance to see it yet, the 2022 MFA Exhibition is featuring this incredible body of work created by Florence Von Grote! The illustrations are based on treasured memories from the places Florence has lived. The little animals are stand-in protagonists inhabiting, exploring and experiencing dream-based worlds.

“Small. Confused. And in Awe. is based on memories of the places I have lived. Events, people, and places are contorted and blended together into a half-imagined/half-remembered architecture. The nod to children’s book illustration invites the viewer to blur the boundaries between animal and human, reality and imagination.” - @flovong

Featured images are:
Traveler
Progress photo
Cartographer
Gardener
Loiterer
Collector

We urge you to check out Florence’s amazing work in the @uazmuseumofart before the show ends on May 14!
... See MoreSee Less

“Small. Confused. And in Awe.” 

In case you haven’t had the chance to see it yet, the 2022 MFA Exhibition is featuring this incredible body of work created by Florence Von Grote! The illustrations are based on treasured memories from the places Florence has lived. The little animals are stand-in protagonists inhabiting, exploring and experiencing dream-based worlds. 

“Small. Confused. And in Awe. is based on memories of the places I have lived. Events, people, and places are contorted and blended together into a half-imagined/half-remembered architecture. The nod to children’s book illustration invites the viewer to blur the boundaries between animal and human, reality and imagination.” - @flovong 

Featured images are:
Traveler
Progress photo
Cartographer
Gardener
Loiterer
Collector

We urge you to check out Florence’s amazing work in the @uazmuseumofart before the show ends on May 14!Image attachmentImage attachment+3Image attachment
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University of Arizona School of Art is at University of Arizona School of Art.
4 weeks ago
University of Arizona School of Art

Need plans for tomorrow? Join us Friday (4/29) from 5-7PM at the Graduate Gallery for The Soft Lines exhibition!

Soft Lines is a class exhibition for Art504 Soft Installation instructed by Angie Zielenski.

See you there!!👋
... See MoreSee Less

Need plans for tomorrow? Join us Friday (4/29) from 5-7PM at the Graduate Gallery for The Soft Lines exhibition! 

Soft Lines is a class exhibition for Art504 Soft Installation instructed by Angie Zielenski. 

See you there!!👋
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University of Arizona School of Art is at University of Arizona School of Art.
1 month ago
University of Arizona School of Art

Our future Art and Visual Culture educators invite you to join them for the 2022 Wildcat Art Exhibition and Reception this coming Saturday (4/30) from 10AM to 12PM in the Lionel Rombach Gallery!🎉

Wildcat Art is a non-profit, student-led program offered by the Art & Visual Culture Education program at the University of Arizona School of Art. Now in its 27th year, Wildcat Art serves the Tucson community while providing hands-on teaching experience for advanced undergraduate and graduate art education students.

The exhibition features selected works by local K-12 students created during art lessons developed and taught by Art & Visual Culture Education undergraduate students. This year’s theme explored the community of Tucson through environmental and cultural history and identity. The exhibition includes paintings, collages, embroidery, clay works, and drawings.🌵

We hope to see you there!!
... See MoreSee Less

Our future Art and Visual Culture educators invite you to join them for the 2022 Wildcat Art Exhibition and Reception this coming Saturday (4/30) from 10AM to 12PM in the Lionel Rombach Gallery!🎉

Wildcat Art is a non-profit, student-led program offered by the Art & Visual Culture Education program at the University of Arizona School of Art. Now in its 27th year, Wildcat Art serves the Tucson community while providing hands-on teaching experience for advanced undergraduate and graduate art education students.

The exhibition features selected works by local K-12 students created during art lessons developed and taught by Art & Visual Culture Education undergraduate students. This year’s theme explored the community of Tucson through environmental and cultural history and identity. The exhibition includes paintings, collages, embroidery, clay works, and drawings.🌵

We hope to see you there!!Image attachmentImage attachment
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