Art preview: ‘UNLOADED’ exhibit aims to point out tragedies of gun violence

Vanessa German remembers a tipping point in her Los Angeles childhood, a time in sixth or seventh grade when words like “AK-47” began to intrude on what had been a largely violence-free life. A boy she knew was shot in the hand and showed his wound to Ms. German and her friends.

When she moved to Pittsburgh, she thought she was leaving behind the violence of LA, but she was wrong. And the violence, she said, affects far more people than just those physically struck with bullets.

“I hear 74 people shot and killed in Pittsburgh and I think of the 374 people who saw a dead body….People don’t understand how devastating it is to be woken up by a gunshot and the sound of somebody’s scream.”

Now Ms. German, a 38-year-old artist who lives in Homewood, is exhibiting some of her work about gun violence at SPACE in the Cultural District as part of “UNLOADED.” Susanne Slavick, professor of art at Carnegie Mellon University, curated the exhibition about the availability, use and impact of guns. It opened Feb. 13 and is on view through April 26.

“UNLOADED,” which is free and open to the public, is Ms. Slavick’s attempt to address some of the “whys” of gun-related tragedies. Why have there been so many mass shootings and shooting deaths of innocent people? Why are there so many guns in America? Why are they not better regulated? Why is gun violence such a pervasive problem if guns are supposed to be a protective measure?

“The surgeon general said it’s a public health crisis,” said Ms. Slavick, referring to an October 2012 Tweet in which Vivek Murthy, who was confirmed as U.S. surgeon general in December, called guns a “health care issue” and said he is “tired of politicians playing politics [with] guns.”

“UNLOADED” showcases different perspectives about guns and their roles in our culture, but Ms. Slavick emphasized that none of them condone violence. Instead, they explore ideas such as power, individualism and self-protection.

Local, national and international artists are represented in the exhibition. For about a decade, Ms. Slavick, whose work is in the exhibit, focused her work as an artist and curator primarily on the violence of war and its aftermath. A few years ago, she narrowed her focus to gun violence on the domestic front and began looking for pieces to include in “UNLOADED.”

Ms. Slavick chose works from a range of demographics and aesthetics, including a video by James Duesing of a hot dog holding a gun and Mel Chin’s “Cross for the Unforgiven,” a Maltese cross made from eight AK-47s. Also exhibiting are Lauren Adams, Nina Berman, Joshua Bienko, Casey Li Brander, Anthony Cervino, Cathy Colman, Dadpranks, Jessica Fenlon, Jinshan, Andrew Ellis Johnson, Jennifer Nagle Myers, Adrian Piper, Don Porcella, Renee Stout and Stephanie Syjuco.

Ms. German’s exhibited work includes a sculpture, passages she wrote on Facebook about her daily experiences with gun violence and signs that say, “Stop shooting. We love you.”

The exhibition will tie in with supplemental programming, including an event called “Disarming Violence,” which SPACE presented March 4 with CeaseFirePA, the Black Political Empowerment Project and the Greater Pittsburgh Coalition Against Violence. Attendees were given the opportunity to tour the exhibit with Ms. Slavick and discuss how its themes fit into the Pittsburgh community. Details on other programming are still being finalized.

A closing reception in which Ms. German will give an interactive spoken-word performance will be held during the Cultural District’s April 24 gallery crawl. Ms. German thinks the art in “UNLOADED” has the potential to change the way some people think about guns.

“[Art] can reside in your body, in your mind; next to your memories, next to your thoughts; and it can change them by proximity…. At the soul root level, art can affect that more than going to a city council meeting. It leads to internal conversations that can lead to changes in actions and behaviors.”

“UNLOADED” continues through April 26 at SPACE, 812 Liberty Ave., Downtown. Hours are 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Information: 412-325-7723 or www.spacepittsburgh.org.

Laura Byko: lbyko@post-gazette.com