MACROMEA by A. Biffert + M. Gorski

“Macromea” – a multi-media installation (glass + photography + printmaking) by Alana Biffert and Marta Gorski – offers an exploration into how we, as a society, allow others to view us, what our true nature is both collectively and individually, and when and where we open ourselves to others.

As the artists explain: “… frequently, we offer a perspective of ourselves that is a manufactured version of how we imagine others to see us. We allow others to view us through strategically placed lenses; to demonstrate our charisma, our sexuality, our strengths and weaknesses. These offer a satisfying view but, in fact, are a barrier dividing the viewer from the reality of who we are. Rare viewers, who investigate deeper and are willing to explore the spaces in between, will see the vulnerability unavailable to most. This work is about interacting with each other in the most intimate context (….)

(…) As friends, we have been close from a young age, well protected by our respective personal experiences and we utilized this opportunity for collaboration to dig deeper into our own relationships, both with each other and those around us (….)

(…) As the artists, we focus our works on the idea of relationships and interaction. We consider the consequences of intimacy and the impacts relationships leave on the psyche. People’s ability to perceive the truth of their interactions relies heavily on their own self-awareness and their understanding of both a micro view and a larger overview of themselves and those around them. This exhibition is a challenge to the audience to take their time and investigate what they see and what they do not, and assists the viewer in gaining the insight needed to grasp these personal realizations“.

Marta Gorski is a Canadian-born glass and installation artist, currently living and working in Oakland, California. Gorski holds a Master of Business Administration from the Hult International Business School in San Francisco, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in glass from the Alberta College of Art + Design in Calgary. Currently, she is building a consulting business that supports international artists with operations management and continues to create concept driven glass and multi-media installations that explore themes of empathy and humankind.

Alana Biffert is a Canadian-born artist, who was raised in Malta. She holds a Bachelor in Fine Arts in Glass from the Alberta College of Art + Design in Calgary, where she currently teaches glass studies. She has worked as an instructor, glass blower and technician at the Okotoks Hot Glass Studio, at the Red Deer College, and in several studios during her research travel to Australia and New Zealand. Biffert focuses her creative energy on concept driven, large-scale installations; her works oscillates around the idea of permanent impressions left by personal and intimate interactions with others.

In the fall of 2017, Marta Gorski and Alana Biffert collaborated with a group of engineers, new media artists, and scientists to create an interactive public art work for Beakerhead Festival in Calgary.