"Real collaboration is a rare thing"

“Real collaboration is a rare thing.”

These words of Andy Holtin describe not only his work with Galo Moncayo as the duo CausalityLabs, but also his commitment to an artistic community in Washington DC: “I am interested in being a supporter and a contributor to the things that make DC interesting both locally and on an international scale.”

CausalityLabs is a transatlantic partnership: Holtin is based in DC and Moncayo in Vienna, Austria, but their work speaks to deeply universal phenomena, ways in which we generate meaning and value, and the tricks that perception can play in constructing the world around us. On view at the American University Museum in the Katzen Arts Center is "the world as we know it," a room dominated by 15 or 16 grey columns, on top of which rest bright yellow/orange models of construction cranes. Stepping into the room activates the cranes, causing them to swivel, which tugs at thin threads that link their cantilevers. It is piece that calls attention to the structures we often overlook as temporary, even fragile. On view in the room is a template for the cranes: a sheet of paper from which the crane’s components were cut out and folded together. It is an installation that speaks to both the handwork, the craft of the artists, and their interest in time as it impacts the instability and changeability of objects.

Their series entitled "we all need a creation myth" continues this exploration of time and space through sculpture and video: bright blue chalk is dispersed by machines to create a landscape of miniature mountains. In “we all need a creation myth 2.0” a flour sifter above a rotating table pours chalk and, as the table turns, a ring of exquisitely-shaped hills is formed. The work juxtaposes these mountain-like shapes which we associate with nature, and the mechanized system that constructed them, without a human hand. The piece fascinates me because it raises questions about how often we attach reasons and intents to actions which may be coincidental or unplanned, or emerge from completely other sources.

Their works are on view at the Katzen until May 1, and an added bonus of visiting the gallery before April 25 was walking up the stairs to the second floor where visitors saw the projects of some of Holtin's students: graduating MFA candidates from American University’s Art Department. Two exceptional pieces were Mindy Hirt’s installation and Annette Isham’s "The Connection." To describe them would spoil the "aha" moment – hopefully they will be presented again at another venue. They made the walk through the gallery an enticing and inspiring experience.

CausalityLabs previously presented their work in DC at the Options 2009 Biennial, which was exhibited in the Industry Gallery space in October 2009, after they were selected by Ann Goodyear to take part in this show. Their exhibit at the Katzen is unlike any event I have attended recently in DC: the cranes and chalk hills defy categorization as they slip between art, installation and performance. They are designed to be experienced; they do not lend themselves to travel or purchase. Maybe this is one reason why they are so intriguing: they emphasize the temporal exchange between an artist’s creation and its observer. The moment is fleeting, but its impact is enduring.

Holtin's presence in DC as a creator and a teacher is promising: while CausalityLabs is steadily building a formidable body of work, DC is becoming a vital place for artists and audiences curious about experimentation and exploration. This sounds like a great collaboration.