Memorial Exhibition of Immersive, Experiential Work by Bobby Anspach Opens In His Former Studio in Gowanus, Brooklyn

In the fall of 2023, the captivating, transportive immersive installations by the late artist Bobby Anspach will be on view and open to the public in a special memorial exhibition taking place in his former studio in Gowanus, Brooklyn. Titled Place for Continuous Eye Contact, the exhibition features four of his machines, which viewers enter into for a fully immersive experience of consciousness and connectedness, akin to the journey of meditation or psychedelics.

Anspach's work was critically acclaimed in his lifetime before he tragically passed away at the age of 34 last year; this exhibition provides a rare opportunity to experience these immersive works in person in a celebration of his life, practice, and genius. As much a sculptor as a magician and scientist inspired by the tenets of Buddhism and the practice of meditation, Anspach's machines are currently undergoing a patenting process. Employing a DIY-technique through all of his work, Anspach was focused on creating brilliant, unexpected, and sublime experiences out of ordinary materials and craft store supply stores, aiming to inspire viewers to look within and discover the beauty of the everyday and the natural world. His practice was informed by a deep respect for the environment, psychedelics, Buddhism, and meditation, and founded on a belief of the interconnectedness of all things. He aimed to share this experience with all viewers of his work, and inspire a more widespread adoption of the practice of mediation.

As curator Elizabeth Ferrer describes his machines, they are: "intricate but chaotic-looking structures suspended from metal scaffolds and covered with thousands of glowing LED lights. These structures actually involve a wild mashup of high and low, technology and DIY craftiness. Bobby had covered their interiors with thousands of colorful pom-poms that he purchased in mass quantities. On the ground, was an air mattress covered with a kitschy fleece blanket, often, emblazoned with the image of a tiger. The participant was to enter the dome, recline on the mattress, and is then to be fitted with headphones and an eye patch. A guide instructs the participant to gaze continuously at a mirror ringed with pom-poms and positioned a few inches above their eye. Within moments, the spatial planes one normally perceives dissolve into a cohesive field, giving way to a sense of disembodiment, and to an otherworldly calm."

Place for Continuous Eye Contact will be on view from September 22 through November 19, 2023, with a series of lectures and events with collaborators, colleagues, friends, and fans of Anspach's work. The exhibition will be open to the public by appointment on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during the run of the exhibition, with 30 minute time slots available to 4 visitors at a time to allow viewers to experience each of the four immersive works on view (each experience running between 3-5 minutes)