Space 900 Gallery, located at 816 Dempster St. will host a new exhibition from Feb. 5-28. Opening reception is 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 4 and noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 5. Gallery hours are noon to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday or by appointment.
Occupied/Vacant: Photographs by Todd Anderson focuses on places which may be empty but show the evidence of human activity, and places that bring people together for a brief time. Viewed from above, an empty rooftop, devoid of any intention to be a recreation area, displays two chairs and a table randomly abandoned. An empty hallway that seems endless, lonely roads and the remains of former movie theaters suggest the convergence of loss and beauty. Beaches, vehicles and airplanes may be momentarily occupied but are vacant most of the time.
A highlight of the exhibit is an installation of 200 photos of vacant urinals from a multitude of different places including gas stations, restaurants, museums and recreations centers. Anderson is interested in how what is familiar at one point in time becomes a curiosity at another. The variety of urinals is visually interesting and familiar to men who take them for granted. To women, the images are strange and curious. They emphasize a cultural difference and remind us, in the most basic way, how easy it is to be unaware of the diverse cultures.