Out of Our Comfort Zone

Welcome to Out of Our Comfort Zone, a virtual and physical exhibition inspired by the pandemic and 2020.

As with everything, art exhibition have transitioned and changed over the last year. Therefore, this exhibition is multifaceted and can be viewed in a variety of ways. The first would be to visit the Luce Center in Washington, D.C. once the space is open to the public. For those in the physical space, we recommend you listen to the audio guide as you work your way through the photographs using the QR codes in the space. For those of you who are unable to be in person, we have designed the following web pages to allow you to immerse yourself in both the art and the audio guide.

You begin your journey with exposure—exposure to the disease, germs, new experiences, social unrest, pandemics, and quarantines—all things we might have been aware of, but did not experience at the scale we did in 2020. Exposure, as you will notice throughout the exhibition, also has a more literal interpretation in terms of photograph. In this case, it is the actual exposure of the film to light (either large amounts or small or somewhere in between) that creates the images in the first place. 

We then move to immersion as we both immersed ourselves in this exhibition, in the artwork, and in the pandemic. COVID-19 did not only define 2020, it also overwhelmed the year in every way possible. One thing the pandemic did force us to do (or allow us to do, depending on your point of view) was reflect. Reflect on our lives, our communities, our relationships, and the art as you move from immersion to reflection. Every big thing and tiny minutiae of our lives was inspected and reflected on while we remained confined inside. 

Our final thought is about closure. Many things both came to an end and failed to end in 2020. While many of the problems that emerged in the past year did not end with the start of 2021, the new year did allow for the turning of the page as we hopefully move to a new kind of normal. 

We designed the audio guide for you to listen to as you move through the exhibition and experience both the photographs and stories from individuals on their experiences during 2020. Please take time to both appreciate and reflect on the artists’ work, as well as the cost the last year has had on us. Thank you for visiting us and we look forward to hearing your thoughts on the show. 

-Taylor Curry