tectonic industries: the desire to stay versus the inevitability of change

Typically, the word “tectonic” refers either to the construction or deformation of our planet’s foundational materials. For lars jerlach and helen stringfellow, it’s a little more specific: As tectonic industries, a collaborative partnership, their artistic goal is to build around collective mainstream memory—then tear down the modern desire for instant gratification. How does that translate to visual art? At the core of their new exhibition is a sixteen-monitor video installation displaying a remake of The Birds, the Hitchcock classic, through a series of talking heads delivering monotone, often grave line readings from the script. More than just the art of artificial exchange, jerlach and stringfellow give us an eerie, intricate investigation into our shared cultural landscapes. Also on view: contemporary color photographs shot in Ukraine by Karolina Karlic.

Franklin Art Works, 1021 E. Franklin Ave., Minneapolis; 612-872-7494.

[Note from editor: At the request of the artists, their names and the title of the exhibit have been left un-capitalized.]