SI Offsite | On Half A Tank Of Gas

Self-described as “America’s Little Switzerland,” New Glarus is a rural town where a group of economic migrants from Glarus, Switzerland, moved in the mid-nineteenth century, fleeing deteriorating economic conditions at home.

The title for this show was taken from a flyer for a local business advertising that one can “Visit Switzerland…On Half a Tank of Gas!”

The particular history and culture of the village is the central point of departure for the project, which explores migration, economic development, and the heritage and tourism industries that preserve and market a sense of place.

Swiss Institute and Kunsthaus Glarus have invited contributions from a number of artists from Switzerland, Wisconsin and elsewhere.

The artists approach such histories through material concerns, ranging from hunting equipment and tapestries to fragrances and fireworks.

Daniel Horn & Yannic Joray, Piano Nobile 2 and Piano Nobile 3, 2017, Aluminum, glass, clay, mixed media.

Miriam Laura Leonardi, Lumen, 2017, HD video with stereo sound

Exhibition venues include Citizens Banks Building, Chalet of the Golden Fleece Museum, Puempel’s Olde Tavern, SwissLand Miniature Golf, and the New Glarus Village Park.

Chalet of the Golden Fleece Museum

Paul McCarthy & Mike Kelley, Heidi, 1992, Video with color and sound

Lorenzo Bernet, Krating Daeng กระทงิ แดง, 2017, Mechanized ground fireworks at the New Glarus Village Park