Published: October 03, 2008 09:52 am      

ART: Castellani experiences a ‘Metamorphosis’

The term “Kafkaesque” is thrown around often, but Niagara University will have a literal reason to use the word this fall.

Canadian artist Max Streicher’s “Metamorphosis,” an exhibit based on the most notable work of seminal writer Franz Kafka, will open Friday at the university’s Castellani Art Museum. Streicher, who works with inflatables, created a large and literal interpretation of the story that finds a man turn into a bug. The main showpiece of the installation finds inspiration from that physical transformation.

“It’s a giant bug,” said Michael Beam, curator of exhibitions and collections at the Castellani.

The giant bug, a dung beetle, will lay on its back in the Castellani. Measuring 30 feet wide, 21 feet long and 20 feet tall, the inflatable insect won’t have much wiggle room.

“It’s not going to fit real well,” Beam said. “It’s going to be pretty tight.”

The massive beetle is constructed from recycled billboard vinyl and is kept from deflating by the use of electric fans. Surrounding the inflatable beetle on the walls are photograms of other related inflatables Streicher has made, including representations of the human form. From the photograms to the dominant inflatable object, visitors may be able to get a sense of the transition present in Kafka’s work.

Larger installations, some featuring pieces of art that take up entire rooms, may become more popular in some museums, but Beam doesn’t see the move as a mere trend.

“It’s an evolution of museums,” he said. “Museums might have been a little stodgy. You always have to create something engaging for people who aren’t normally museum enthusiasts.”

Coming face-to-face with a giant inflatable bug in the middle of a room just might be the ticket for some folks.

“What we’re interested in, in Niagara County, is getting those first-time visitors in,” Beam said. “Just the fact that it’s a giant bug ... and that’s OK.”

That being said, those who have read “The Metamorphosis” will surely take something from the exhibit, Beam said.

“When you walk in, it’s almost like you’re a character in the story,” he said. “You’re forced to deal with a giant bug.”

Some students at Niagara University will be deeply involved in the work. Streicher’s art creates a springboard for projects within selected classes at the university this fall, as students in multiple disciplines engage in integrated learning with “The Metamorphosis.”

In some classes, English students will read Kafka’s novella. Philosophy students will study Kafka-as-art and using the non-traditional art exhibit to pose the question: What is art? Biology students will set up a miniature lab featuring bugs under microscopes — the exact opposite of Streicher’s work in scale, Beam notes.

Perhaps most notably, university theater students will do a reading of “The Metamorphosis” in front of the bug later this season.

“The bug is actually going to be, physically, part of the performance,” Beam said.



IF YOU GO

WHAT: Max Streicher’s “Metamorphosis”

WHEN: Opening reception at 5:30 p.m. Friday, exhibit runs through Jan. 25

WHERE: Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University, Lewiston

MORE INFORMATION: Visit niagara.edu/cam or call 286-8200