A new exhibition at the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art marks the first time the museum has commissioned all new work. Titled Phillip Byrne, Beatriz Cortez, Kang Seung Lee, Candice Lin: Entangled Writing, the exhibit is on view at the University of California, Davis museum through December.  

“Entangled Writing grew out of early conversations between Beatriz Cortez and Phillip Byrne, and builds upon existing conversations between Cortez, Lee and Lin,” said Susie Kantor, associate curator and exhibitions department head. “The resulting exhibition opens a portal to new and imagined worlds, allowing us to envision different futures and shine a light in difficult times.” 

Ethereal Concepts of Writing  

Though the work is called “Entangled Writing,” at first glance, writing isn’t anywhere to be found other than the plaques beside the installations. The showcase could be more broadly described as an exploration of human and non-human communication — a culmination of history, erasure, impermanence and expression. As a whole, the work explores how, as a species, humans leave marks on nature and one another. 

Walking through the museum, visitors first encounter a 12- by 18-foot sculpture by Cortez, associate professor of art at UC Davis, in conversation with the work of Byrne, a Los Angeles-based artist who holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in studio art from UC Davis. The works prompt viewers to think about what we leave behind as a species, whether it is in the chemical changes we create in nature or from the literal objects stored away in landfills and scrapyards. (Byrne’s project began with telecommunication cables found in a scrapyard in the Loire Valley, France.)  

Visitors next witness the work of Lee, who was born in South Korea and now lives and works in Los Angeles. From what lies underground to what lies beneath the skin, Lee’s work frequently engages the legacy of transnational queer histories, particularly as they intersect with art history. Lee incorporates film, dance, music, poetry, sign language, and other visual arts as he projects a multitude of emotions from delight to anger.  

Visitors will want to listen carefully as they immerse themselves in Lin’s installation, which features a round, rotating sculpture paired with an audio story by the artist. With a dream-like quality, Lin evokes pain and healing as she makes connections between birth, sex, hunger and death — and, perhaps, rebirth.  

Lin is an assistant professor of art at the University of California, Los Angeles. 

Working with works-in-progress 

As a curator, Kantor acts as a conduit between artists and the public, and artists and museum staff. Because this is the museum’s first exhibition featuring all new work, the art installations have been in progress and have shifted since Entangled Writing was first proposed.  

The exhibition has been in the works for about two years and artists were completing the work nearly all the way up until this month’s opening, which meant printed materials, signage and staging was still in motion.  

“We couldn’t describe the work because it didn’t exist yet,” Kantor said. “The exhibit has evolved since its inception. Of course, it’s going to change. I actually really love that. That is just part of the work itself and reflects the underlying themes of the exhibition.”  

Entangled Writing opened August 8. The exhibition ends Dec. 29.