theme 2025
BODIES UNBOUND
A collection that creates a whole—a body. Of water, of knowledge, of plants or cells. More than a singular entity, a body is an amalgamation of objects, ideas, individuals, or structures, molded by relationships and environments -- a system and an ecosystem.
For CAF 9, we explore BODY, not only as a form defi ned by its edges, but also as a threshold that encloses and protects while interacting with its surrounding space. Boundaries of bodies draw constraints and possibilities both: they divide and defi ne, provide structure or impose limits, invite judgment or expand power. They shape classifi cations of identity, sometimes separating, sometimes uniting. Are bodies and structures fi xed or fl exible, fragmented or inclusive? How do we stretch our collective bodies within and beyond social, political, racial, environmental, and technological limits? How do we transcend these boundaries toward liberation?
As malleable vessels and structures, we’ll explore what bodies hold and hide, what they reveal and expose. At CAF 9, BODY becomes a site, a threshold for transformation. We invite artists and visitors to uncover what lies beneath the surface, to examine what constructs and reconstructs a body. The rigidity of the fi gure, the fl exibility of form, bodies as both rooted and shapeshifting, expressing histories, stories, trauma, strength, and fragility—holding the potential for expansion and transmutation.
Theme 2025
BODIES UNBOUND
A collection that creates a whole—a body. Of water, of knowledge, of plants or cells. More than a singular entity, a body is an amalgamation of objects, ideas, individuals, or structures, molded by relationships and environments — a system and an ecosystem.
For CAF 9, we explore BODY, not only as a form defi ned by its edges, but also as a threshold that encloses and protects while interacting with its surrounding space. Boundaries of bodies draw constraints and possibilities both: they divide and defi ne, provide structure or impose limits, invite judgment or expand power. They shape classifi cations of identity, sometimes separating, sometimes uniting. Are bodies and structures fi xed or fl exible, fragmented or inclusive? How do we stretch our collective bodies within and beyond social, political, racial, environmental, and technological limits? How do we transcend these boundaries toward liberation?
As malleable vessels and structures, we’ll explore what bodies hold and hide, what they reveal and expose. At CAF 9, BODY becomes a site, a threshold for transformation. We invite artists and visitors to uncover what lies beneath the surface, to examine what constructs and reconstructs a body. The rigidity of the fi gure, the fl exibility of form, bodies as both rooted and shapeshifting, expressing histories, stories, trauma, strength, and fragility—holding the potential for expansion and transmutation.