Is It Your Problem?

“You don’t have to be responsible for the world that you’re in, you know?”

-Benjamin Labatut, The Maniac

What does it mean to be a good citizen of the world? Are we to exhaust ourselves with the minute detail of every single thing going on in the world around us? Or is there room for us to choose where we direct our energy? I say the latter is absolutely viable. While we certainly can’t sit by and ignore every ill in the world, we also can not possibly expect to solve all the problems we see day in and day out. Give yourself permission to address those things that you can and – as the old saying goes – accept the ones you cannot change.

Anne Brandhøj joined us to talk about her work in wood, on view at Hostler Burrows. Educated as a furniture designer, she became interested in where the wood she used came from. Upon visiting a saw mill, she learned about the process of cutting down wood to planks and decided to learn this as her final process. She emphasizes that you do not know what you have until you open up a tree to see what’s inside. These days, her process includes harvesting the trees she uses for each piece. To learn more, listen to the complete interview.

Hilary Irons chatted with us about her show, A Place of Greater Safety, which ran until November 9 at Morgan Lehman Gallery. The title of the show is from the title of a 1992 novel that seemingly channels the experiences of some of the primary actors in the French Revolution. The idea that there is a place of safety, protection and an untouchable core of silence in the midst of chaos resonated strongly with Irons. To learn more about the exhibition and other aspects of Irons’ career, listen to the complete interview.