Virtual Remains|Atlanta Contemporary

On the occasion of Virtual Remains, Atlanta Contemporary presents a conversation between Project Space artists Adam Forrester and Artemus Jenkins, to be moderated by curator TK Smith.

Together, they will discuss the possibilities of using fictional narratives and manipulated documents to address flawed and fragmented archives. Forrester’s multimedia installation in Sliver Space brings together video, photography, and performance to interrogate the fragmented and contradictory histories of his hometown of Phenix City, Alabama. Jenkin’s episodic video project, FREE WIFI is on view in On-Site Gallery. Each installment offers a posthumous glimpse into the life of a man named WIFI, whose journey is narrated through the files he left behind on an external hard drive. Both artists weave together archival material, found footage, and personal experience to tell semi-autobiographical truths through fabrication, reproduction, and memory.

This virtual event will be streamed via Zoom.

Watching via Zoom
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Zoom Conversation guide

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Bios

TK Smith

TK Smith is a Philadelphia based writer, art critic, and curator. Smith is currently a PhD candidate in the American Civilization Program at the University of Delaware. He received his MA in American Studies and his BA in English and African American Studies from Saint Louis University. Smith’s research interests lie in American art, material culture, and the built environment. Smith most recently curated Looming Chaos at the Zuckerman Museum of Art as an inaugural Tina Dunkley Fellow at Clark Atlanta University Art Museum. The 2020 exhibition featured the fiber abstractions of Atlanta based artist Zipporah Camille Thompson. His writing has been published in Art Papers, Burnaway, and ARTS ATL.

Artemus Jenkins

Artemus Jenkins is a photographer and filmmaker. The Baltimore native has lived in Atlanta for thirteen years, using the documentary format to innovatively capture the lives of local artists from marginalized communities and their use of art to craft new realities. They have created several short and full-length films, such as broken stories (2017) and several docuseries, such as Color Outside the Lines (2012), a groundbreaking documentary depicting the work and lives of Black tattoo artists across the globe. Recently Jenkin’s documentary work was featured in an award-winning music video by recording artist H.E.R. Jenkins’ work has been included in several group exhibitions, including Drive Thru ATL in 2020 with The Creatives Project, Art of Atlanta in 2019 at Wish Gallery, and the City of Ink 10th Anniversary Group Exhibition in 2017 at City of Ink Gallery. They were awarded the Best Documentary Award from Creative Loafing in 2016 and a residency at The Creatives Project from 2020 to 2022. In addition to artmaking, they have worked as a producer, consultant, and digital content strategist. Jenkins received their BS in sales and marketing from Tuskegee University.

Adam Forrester

Adam Forrester is a multimedia artist, photographer, and documentary filmmaker. His current project involves an interdisciplinary and multimedia exploration of the small town of Phenix City, Alabama. Forrester’s films have been screened at several film festivals, including the Oxford Film Festival in 2020, the Landlocked Film Festival in 2015, DOC NYC in 2019, and the Indie Grits Film Festival in 2016, 2019, and 2020. His films have been recognized with multiple awards, including the Reel South SHORT Award in 2020 from the Sidewalk Film Festival and the Seed & Spark Award in 2016 from the Atlanta Film Festival. Forrester had a 2020 solo exhibition, Archive(d) at whitespace Gallery in Atlanta and has exhibited nationally and internationally, most notably at the Historic Center of Kalamata in Greece, Bunkier Sztuki Contemporary Art Gallery in Poland, Weinberg/Newton Gallery in Chicago, and Soap Factory in Minneapolis. He was awarded grants from Idea Capital in 2017, The Rural Project Fellowship Grant in 2019, and the Southern Documentary Fund in 2018, as well as multiple residencies, including The Creatives Project in 2018 and Wassaic Residency Program in 2014. Forrester received an MFA from the Lamar Dodd School of Art at the University of Georgia and a BSc from Columbus State University.

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This lecture will be live-streamed via Zoom. RSVP here.

Contemporary Talks focuses on artists’ projects, curatorial platforms, and contemporary theory and connects you with individuals who represent a diverse range of disciplines as they consider, examine, and question contemporary art.