A new resident-created art exhibit at a Ballston senior living community is trying to test the limits of what art really is.
Titled “Art of the Absurd: But is it Art?”, the exhibition at The Jefferson (900 N. Taylor Street) was inspired by a banana taped to a wall that sold for $6.2 million at a contemporary art auction in November.
The Jefferson features its own rotting banana in addition to 35 other pieces.
The exhibit aims to make audience members consider what qualifies as art by presenting unorthodox works.
“People here read about the banana, and then somebody said ‘well, that’s absurd,'” chair of The Jefferson’s marketing committee Vesna Gjaja said. “And then the ball started rolling.”
The residents who took part in creating the exhibit have a collective fun-loving sense of humor and quite a bit of wit, Gjaja said.
Another humorous piece is a picture of a resident named Art. Gjaja says another resident took the picture and said “well, that’s absolutely Art!” before titling it “Absolutely Art” and adding it to the exhibit.
At The Jefferson, residents can participate in art classes taught by other residents. The teachers, alongside the Resident Art Committee, help the artists put on six exhibits per year, each with a two-month run.
“I think there is a lot of joy in looking at beautiful things and pursuing creativity,” Gjaja said. “When people stop working, they have more time to explore things that they really enjoy, and I think it’s great that they find an outlet in something like this.”
