WRITING // Alexandria Knapik's curated series "Moving In/Moving Out"

*homebody*, Sage Dye, photo credit: Nadia John

This summer, I had the pleasure of curating a two-event series titled Moving In / Moving Out at Comfort Station in Logan Square, in collaboration with and celebration of Edra Soto’s La Casa de Todos. This series, which featured films by Martí Madaula Esquirol and a performance by SAGE DYE, explored themes of home, movement, and connection through unique artistic lenses, and resonated deeply with the vision behind Soto’s reimagining of her installation SCAFFOLD.

The series kicked off on July 19th, 2024, with a screening of Martí Madaula Esquirol’s two artfully created films. The program featured "To Plant a Flying Garden" (2021, 17 min) and "A Planet Painted by Hand" (work-in-progress, 18 min). These films juxtapose intimate, domestic spaces with expansive, stimulated environments, inviting viewers to contemplate the concept of home both in our immediate surroundings and in the cosmos. The films resonated with themes of displacement and belonging, echoing the sentiments of moving and re- establishing one’s sense of home.

This was a particularly meaningful event as Martí, having previously lived in Chicago, expressed a profound sense of connection to the city. Our conversations leading up to the screening revealed how his past experiences here influenced his work, adding a layer of personal significance to the event.

Following this, on September 1st, 2024, SAGE DYE’s performance, homebody, brought another layer of depth to our series. By installing garments on drying lines and inviting visitors to interact with natural dyes, SAGE created a living artwork that explored the intersection of personal history and home. The performance transformed SCAFFOLD into a space where intimate domestic rituals and community interactions converged.

One of my many conversations with SAGE, who also previously lived in Chicago, reflected on themes of movement and memory. SAGE’s work, like Martí’s, engages with the concept of home in a tangible, sensory manner, further linking our series to Soto’s vision for La Casa de Todos. The event highlighted the ways navigate and redefine our sense of home through art and shared experiences.

Edra Soto’s La Casa de Todos, reimagining the SCAFFOLD installation, served as an inspiring backdrop for our series. Soto’s practice, rooted in her Puerto Rican heritage, addresses themes of history, diasporic identity, and social constructs. Her installation reconfigures public space to celebrate and engage the community, aligning perfectly with the spirit of our events.

The unconventional nature of this series added to its unique charm. As a volunteer Comfort Station staff member who was invited to host programming in La Casa de Todos on a

relatively quick timeline, the limited preparation time meant there was little formal promotion. Yet, this spontaneity fostered an intimate atmosphere where both artists and visitors felt at home, creating an experience akin to hosting friends rather than a formal public event. This led to another reflection on the very themes we aimed to explore: the comfort found in familiar spaces and the connections formed through shared experiences.

Writing this curatorial statement in retrospect, and naming the series after the events, feels fitting given the context of the events both for this series and personally. As I navigate my own process of moving homes, each event preparation mirrored the act of transitioning between spaces—moving in and moving out. My goal was to offer artists a platform to engage with Soto’s La Casa de Todos and explore how the theme of home could connect with various narratives. The responses ranged from the threads in SAGE’s performance to Martí’s examination of outer space, offering complex answers to a seemingly simple question.

As a person who experiences possibilities as sometimes overwhelming, curating this series with a focus on foundational questions helped clarify and connect complex ideas in a way that resonates deeply with me. I hope that this series also connects with those who attended and those who read about it. Furthermore, for the many folks who unfortunately missed this blip in time, I encourage everyone to follow the work of SAGE DYE and Martí Madaula Esquirol— they are truly exceptional artists. Thank you.

Screening of "To Plant a Flying Garden" (2021) and "A Planet Painted by Hand" (work-in-progress) by Martí Madaula Esquirol

On July 19th, 2024, I had the pleasure of hosting a screening of Martí Madaula Esquirol’s thought-provoking films at Comfort Station in Logan Square, as part of our ongoing series in collaboration with and celebration of Edra Soto’s La Casa de Todos. The event showcased two of Madaula Esquirol’s works, introduced thoughtfully by Florence Woolley, that delve into the themes of home, intimacy, and space exploration.

The evening began with "To Plant a Flying Garden" (2021, 17 min), which is deeply moving reflection on the intersection of the domestic and the cosmic. This video starts with a bouquet of flowers collected by the artist’s father during the pandemic lockdown, transforming this small act into a metaphor for the broader connection between our immediate environments and the vast universe. The film beautifully questions what constitutes a home by linking personal, intimate spaces with the grandeur of outer space.

Following this, we screened "A Planet Painted by Hand" (work-in-progress, 18 min), an experimental documentary that contrasts the familiar with the alien. Set in the American Southwest, the film explores the lives of scientists at the Mars Desert Research Station, creating a temporary home in an analog mission designed to simulate extraterrestrial conditions. I was excited to present this work-in-progress, as it highlights the challenges and everyday realities of living in a simulated outer space, prompting us to rethink our understanding of home and habitation.

Through these screenings, a conversation was sparked about how we define home, both in our immediate surroundings and in the vastness beyond. Madaula Esquirol’s films offer a unique lens through which we can explore these themes, blending personal intimacy with cosmic exploration. I’m grateful to have shared this experience with our audience and look forward to continuing this dialogue on the nature of home in further events.

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homebody by SAGE DYE

On September 1st, 2024 from noon until 6-sh, I hosted homebody at Comfort Station in Logan Square, a performance by SAGE DYE, held in collaboration with and celebration of Edra Soto’s La Casa de Todos. This event, woven into Soto’s vision of a home that embraces all, brought new dimensions to the concept of domesticity through an evocative exploration of textiles and natural dyes.

The performance featured SAGE DYE’s installation of garments on three lines of scaffolding, creating a striking visual tableau that blended seamlessly with the surrounding environment. The garments—sourced from antique dealers, personal gifts, and vintage finds even dating back to the 1950s were transformed throughout the day. The backdrop of the LS farmers market, combined with the ambient sounds of traffic, the warmth of the sun, and the gentle breeze, created a tranquil setting for the unfolding performance. The event’s open hours allowed for casual conversation and reflection, as visitors observed the evolving colors and textures of the garments.

Visitors interacted with the installation in an intimate and participatory manner, pouring coffee and Earl Grey tea onto the handmade dress closest to the drink station. This act of engagement highlighted a connection between daily ritual and the objects we inhabit. I noticed that most people chose, and personally partook in using, the coffee for dyeing, its beautiful brown color altering the fabrics over the day. I was surprised to learn that both drinks left the same color stain, but relatedly, almost all the foods used for dye left colors that were unexpected.

SAGE herself had on a dress worn at the previous iteration of homebody, which initiated a dialogue about the nature of home and the personal histories embedded within these textiles. During one of our many chats, SAGE shared a reflection that “most things are made to the scale of the body,” including tablecloths, doilies, and other textiles designed for non- clothing uses, underscoring a perhaps subconscious connection between how makers interact with the world.

The performance’s blend of old and new, the familiar and the unexpected, drew attention to the layered narratives of care, memory, and personal history inherent in everyday objects. By incorporating elements from an Ohio family’s past—such as antique transit items and containers from the 1930s—SAGE DYE connected her own heritage with the collective experience of the audience, creating a shared moment of introspection and transformation.

homebody at Comfort Station was more than an art performance; it was a living, evolving testament to the ways in which home life and craft intertwine, revealing the profound connections between ourselves and the materials we cherish.