Arts + Literature Laboratory presents Cavities and Heights, an exhibition by Vesna Jovanovic, on display from Tuesday, November 18 to Saturday, December 20, 2025.
An opening reception for all current exhibitions will be held on Saturday, November 22, 2025 from 5:00pm to 8:00pm.
Jovanovic’s recent works on synthetic paper grew out of a fascination with medieval French carnivals. These body-centered events focused on food, dance, laughter, and bodily taboos—in stark contrast to doctrines that rejected the body while valorizing the mind or soul. At medieval carnivals, people gathered in the town marketplace to celebrate their shared humanity while shedding their social identities through masking and costume. In her recent body of work, Jovanovic begins with diluted ink that she pours onto sheets of polypropylene. She then responds to the random ink textures and shapes by adding forms that are both uncomfortable and enticing at the same time. With these interventions, the most accidental element of the painting—the poured ink—begins to feel fleshy, familiar, and relatable, reaching beyond the gaze and tapping into something visceral that connects us.
