November 9 – December 10
Ways of Being
A solo exhibition by Victoria Smits
280 Gallery Open Hours
Monday – Friday: 11am – 6pm
Saturday: 11am – 3pm
Sundays: Closed
Holidays: Closed
Exhibition Narrative
Victoria Smits, 2022
Our Way of Being in the world emerges from the attachment behavioral system within our family of origin. The social-emotional and interpersonal development inside the formative relationships of our first caregivers frames current and future engagement, linking theories on emotion regulation and personality. Ways of Being is a pedagogical exploration of the initial and extended impacts of attachment between a child and caregiver. In the revolutionary book, Ways of Seeing, John Berger clarifies the difference between looking and seeing, “The relation between what we see and what we know is never settled. Each evening we see the sun set. We know that the earth is turning away from it. Yet the knowledge, the explanation, never quite fits the sight” (Berger, 1). By extension, seeing another human necessitates an awareness of complexities in identity rooted in attachment experiences. Our way of existing, of being, begins and forms inside this attachment relationship. This exhibition, with explorations in textile, video, sound, and sculpture, considers the artist’s way of being and elicits a discussion of the phenomenological awareness of ourselves. Understanding the antecedent factors to our current existence and its comparative knowledge elicits a profound effect on relationships.
Photo Documentation by Verónica Rosas
Featured Work
Programming
Ways of Being: Conversations on Attachment
Thursday November 10
4:30-5:30 pm
This event will be hosted in room 319 in connection with SITE’s 280 Gallery
280 S. Columbus Dr, Chicago, IL
Join SITE Galleries for a dialogue between Victoria Smits, artist exhibiting in Ways of Being, and Dr. Kelley Munger as they discuss attachment theory, the ability of attachment styles to change over time, and how attachment intersects with others in relationships. A brief audience engagement will follow.
Dr. Munger holds a BA in English from Auburn University, an MA in Teaching from Lee University, and an MA in Counseling Psychology from Covenant Seminary. She completed her PhD in Early Intervention and Special Education at the University of Oregon in 2019. Munger is a researcher and licensed therapist working in the areas of trauma, adult attachment, special education, and human development.
Ways of Being will be on view in the SITE 280 Gallery from November 9th until December 10th.
*Persons with disabilities requesting accommodations should visit saic.edu/access
Opening Reception
Thursday November 10
5:30 – 6:30 PM
This event will be hosted in SITE’s 280 Gallery
280 S. Columbus Dr, Chicago, IL
Join SITE Galleries for the opening reception of Ways of Being, a solo exhibition by Victoria Smits.
Ways of Being will be on view in the SITE 280 Gallery from November 9th until December 10th.
*Persons with disabilities requesting accommodations should visit saic.edu/access
Address
SITE 280 Gallery
280 S. Columbus Dr.
Chicago, IL, 60603
Open Hours
Monday – Friday: 11am – 6pm
Saturday: 11am – 3pm
Sundays: Closed
Holidays: Closed