Exhibition Opening - Affinities/Podobnosti: Ceramics by Ivica Vidrova and Georgette Zirbes

Ceramics by artists Ivica Vidrova, associate professor, Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Bratislava, 2008 Witt Scholar and Artist-in-Residence at the School of Art & Design, and 2008 Weiser Slovakia/U-M Professional Development Program Fellow; and Georgette Zirbes, professor emeritus, School of Art & Design, U-M, and 2007 Weiser Fellow. Sponsored by the School of Art & Design, Residential College, and Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia. The exhibition runs from Fri, Oct 31-Fri, Dec 5 (M-F, 9 am-8 pm; S-Su, 12-8 pm).

Georgette Zirbes traveled to Bratislava, Slovakia to work with Ivica Vidrova in 2007. Through collegial and artistic exchange, they have forged a lasting friendship and have developed a sophisticated oeuvre.

Zirbes: "My work in this exhibition is the direct result of a residency at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava, Slovakia. Meaningful conversations emerged across time and between places. The relationship of my surface drawings and shard compositions evoke these personal connections."

Vidrova: "My initial works were defined by two themes I was interested in. The main theme, which pertains and most probably always will, is EARTH -- soil, clay and everything that is happening with it. Rocks, formations, imprints, footprints and wounds are rough structures on unlimited surfaces that I create borders for, become familiar with and elevate in my own way."