Molly Gochman

Gochman’s Give-Away Project is a series that continues to unfold. The first two exhibitions of Give-Away Project documented taste and delved into the concept of value. In Release: Give-Away III, Gochman continued to explore these themes while investigating change.

Release: Give-Away III exhibited the large-scale photographic panels from Give-Away Part II and intimate paintings inspired by aspects within those works. Gochman encouraged audience members to interact with select prints and use cleansing tools to wipe away portions of the images.

Participants demonstrated individual preference though changes they made to the works and had the opportunity to connect with the prints and each other. The images changed constantly throughout the evening; all the individual contributions blurred together over time. Release encouraged one to be present, connect, and let go.

The interactive element in Release: Give Away III addressed value. Often, touching art is discouraged, and rubbing away parts of images is thought to destroy them. These actions built a new creation of equal value to the original during Release: Give Away III. In addition to how individuals value objects, Release also illuminated how we value moments in our lives. The experience itself was valuable. Gochman has said, “My work returns what’s missing from life – fragile moments within cycles of creation and destruction.”