The Rotunda Gallery, 33 Clinton Street, Brooklyn Heights, presents TRY THIS an exhitibion featuring artwork that requires the interaction of the viewer in order to be fully realized. Organized by Janet Riker and Meridith McNeal, TRY THIS opens on Thursday, April 4 with an artists’ reception and an evening of exploration and demonstrations with exhibiting artists and Rotunda’s artist educators. The exhibition will remain on view through May 18. Gallery hours are Tuesday-Friday, Noon - 5 PM and Saturday, 11 AM - 4 PM. Admission is free. Information: 718-875-4047.

TRY THIS explores the viewer’s role in the work of art. Through a variety of interactive work, the exhibition calls for the direct engagement of the viewer who may touch, prod, crank and prick the artwork. The viewer is invited to crawl into a handmade tent, make their own grail, "vote" on their favorite word, operate appliances, and use the "Indian chic" bathroom. By physically engaging the viewer, these works raise the question of what art demands of us, and puts the meaning of our involvement in center stage. By requiring that the viewer take an active role in the work on view, the exhibition emphasizes the necessity of our presence; neither the art nor the viewer is allowed to remain passive in the experience.

...And the Search is On!
As part of TRY THIS, artist George Spencer has organized an archeological “treasure hunt” throughout Brooklyn’s waterfront neighborhoods - the Navy Yard, Red Hook, Greenpoint, DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights. During the last week of March, the artist will distribute hundreds of hand-painted Grecian ceramic pieces throughout these areas as part of an intricate historical narrative dating back to 1844. Those who discover these mysterious shards should bring them the Rotunda Gallery to be examined and catalogued. To participate in this amateur archeological dig or to learn more about George Spencer’s "Fragments" please call 718-875-4047x16.

TRY THIS artists include:
Shelly Bahl whose installation in the Gallery’s bathroom takes a tongue-in-cheek look at "Indian chic" and which includes goddess wallpaper and hand towels. This small domestic environment plays with notions of home décor, exotic motifs and cultural appropriation.

Bruce Busby whose handmade tensile structures offer viewers a private moment in the safe, cocoon-like space he has created.

Troy Dugas whose "The Secret of Grails: an Instructional Video" will be supplemented with "take home" kits with which viewers can make their own tiny grails out of gum wrappers and discover for themselves the wonder embedded in the mundane.

Steve Gerberich’s "Labor Saving Devices" is a collection of moving sculptures and mechanical robots made from recycled appliances. A homage to machines made for in home use, the installation consists of existing devices such as vintage blender and original fabrications.

David Judelson has created an elegant minimalist wooden sphere. This simple display of architectural ingenuity prompts the viewer to consider the mechanics of motion and spatial relationships.

Han Gene Paik and Dirk J. Platzek investigate the ways that new communication technology has broken down the boundary between public and private space. Their installation includes LCD screens that display incoming message text from various hand-held devices.

Antonella Piemontese’s piece focuses on the act of choice and the accumulation of mass emotion. Her 22 foot long shelf displays cushions that are each printed with a different word. The installation includes pins and instructions for the viewer to place a pin the words that resonate the most with them, thus creating a visual record of the most "popular" sentiments.

George Spencer will display and catalog a collection of ceramic shards discovered by Brooklyn residents. The shards have been "lost" since 1844 en route to the borough’s most prestigious art museum.

Nancy Steinson has created a series of miniatures based on her monumental minimalist sculptures. The viewer must hold these solid bronze works in their hand to fully appreciate their physical presence - contour, temperature and weight.