Here at the University of South Florida, there are many breathtaking and amazing things to see—looking at you, on-campus Publix!
When you’re going to school at USF, you’re surrounded by beautiful greenery, water features, and did I mention the Publix that’s on campus?
One of the most beautiful and little-known places on campus is the USF Contemporary Art Museum. Here, artists’ work from all over is presented in ways that allow them to truly showcase their talent and creativity. Although the building may look small and lackluster from the outside, the art inside create a monumental feeling like no other.
From August 26 to December 7, this wonderful place on campus is hosting the talented Robert Lazzarini and Rodrigo Valenzuela’s “Return of the Real.”
Photo courtesy of Ashton Prater
The piece above is “chain-link fence (torn)” by Robert Lazzarini, who is known for his ability to interrupt your standard process of viewing with strange shapes and–in a lot of his pieces on display in the art museum–what looks to be regular objects melting or breaking.
Photo courtesy of Ashton Prater
The two rooms in this building are separated by a jagged hallway, where the only light is coming from a video playing on a screen. Despite my initial thoughts, this illusion is more artful than anything I’ve seen.
When you visit this installation by Rodrigo Valenzuela, take the full 8 minutes and 47 seconds it takes to watch these men talk about unionizing—you won’t regret it.
When you get to Rodrigo Valenzuela’s side, you’ll notice a much darker undertone, where a sculpture best seen in person rules the room. Valenzuela’s work all seems to surround the theme of barricading, which explores the relationship between individual and community.
Overall, the artwork composed by Valenzuela and Lazzarini fits together in a way that the two artists probably ever imagined that they would to create something beautiful in the contemporary art museum.
Take a trip to USF’s Contemporary Art Museum to see this work in real life before it’s gone on December 7.