Immergence by Patrick Killoran June 26, 2011

A vending machine mysteriously conceals the main entrance to the Hyde Park Art Center’s School and Studio. The repurposed vending machine will be fitted into an existing doorway. Inquisitive visitors to the School and Studios will be surprised when they pass through an innocuous utility door only to emerge from inside the non-functional vending machine.

Central to Killoran’s strategy is the artwork that pretends to be something it is not, often times transitioning the viewer from unwitting observer to analyst. The title of the work, Immergence or “to disappear into” points to how vending machines have been assimilated into our everyday reality. Located at the physical threshold between art gallery and artists’ studios, interacting with Immergence becomes a non-negotiable experience for visitors wanting to travel from one space to the other. The position of the machine satirizes the supposed freedom to disregard corporate imagery, and underscores our constant bombardment with opportunities for consumption. Immergence provides the participant with another such opportunity.

Official Website: http://www.hydeparkart.org/exhibitions/