Sarita Zaleha

press release: Arts + Literature Laboratory (ALL) presents recent work by Sarita Zaleha, a Minneapolis-based multidisciplinary artist, on view from May 6 to May 21, 2016. A reception will be held on Friday, May 6, 5-9pm (during Gallery Night), with an artist talk by Zaleha at 7:30pm. The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public. Gallery hours at Tues-Sat, 11am-3pm or by appointment through May 21.

Exhibition Statement – At a Loss: Our perception of the environment affects how we understand climate change. My creative research explores environmental agency and our emotional engagement with the environment. I am concerned with creating networks and patterns of connection related to climate change awareness and action. I often use the form of the grid and the net to explore these interconnections and relationships between elements. The exhibition includes a large-scale video installation that samples and reconfigures tourist videos of glacial calvings. A handmade net stretches across the Icelandic landscape in large-scale photographs. Collages and paper weavings using security envelopes explore the form of the net and networked systems, particularly the financial exchanges of global capitalism, a system that has contributed greatly to global warming. This tactile exploration of networks allows us to make connections and establish relationships with the environment and its elements.

Artist Biography: Sarita Zaleha has a multidisciplinary creative practice that includes printmaking, fiber arts, photography, video, installation, and social practice. Her work explores international perceptions and emotional responses to climate change with a focus on environmental loss. Zaleha received her MFA in printmaking at the University of Iowa. She has bachelor’s degrees in biomedical engineering and religion from Case Western Reserve University and master’s degrees in art history and religion from University of Minnesota and Harvard University. Zaleha was awarded an Art(ists) on the Verge fellowship for 2016-2017. Her work has been exhibited in the US, Canada, Germany, and Iceland.