“Creatures of Story”: MFAVN Class of 2024 Thesis Exhibition Opens July 10th!

July 10 - 20, 2024

SVA GRAMERCY GALLERY
209 East 23rd Street, 1st floor
New York, NY 10010

Closing Reception on July 19th, 6-8 PM

RSVP Here

We are delighted to present our Class of 2024 Thesis Exhibition, “Creatures of Story,” which features fourteen unique visual narrative installations that transport the audience to familiar, fantastic, and alien worlds.

The exhibition is composed of installations by 14 artists and storytellers, whose work spans the mediums of graphic novels, animation, and narrative game design.

“Creatures of Story” immerses you in fourteen unique visual narrative exhibitions, transporting the audience to familiar, fantastic, and alien worlds through life-sized, interactive installations. These stories and their characters explore themes of love and self-acceptance, the power of taboos, and the possibility of redemption and peace, among others. Be it through the use of comedy, satire, documentary, or fantasy, all of these works reflect each artist’s personal experiences and their interpretations of the human experience.

The range of stories and themes in the exhibition are on full display with artists like Lixiaoyue Liu with her graphic novel, Tampon Boy. In this story, a boy discovers the power and fame of a magic tampon that turns the world upside down. Her piece confronts the stereotypes behind menstruation and the taboos surrounding access to feminine hygiene products.

Another featured story is Diana Poon’s visual novel game, To BeLoved. To BeLoved is a dating sim featuring Menmi, a young businesswoman who is desperately searching for love in the big city while slowly discovering that what she might really need is to learn to love herself. In the game, your decisions in Menmi’s story determine whether she finds a fulfilling relationship or gets ghosted.

Another instance of storytelling coming to life is in Jack Mied’s graphic novel series, Bounty. Bounty is a fantasy western rock opera about two teenagers who are caught up in a political and familial struggle. Each chapter of Bounty is represented by a 12-inch vinyl album whose events are recounted in song by the story’s narrators and the instruments they use.

Allow “Creatures of Story” to transport you beyond the gallery walls through these stories and many others. The exhibition is on view at the SVA Gramercy Gallery from July 10 through July 20, with a closing reception on July 19, 6 to 8 PM. Drop in to view our exhibition during gallery hours, Monday through Saturday, 10 AM to 6 PM, and RSVP here to attend our closing reception. We hope to see you there!