Thursday, March 28, 2024

Rebel with a cause

Brent Haas has never been one to follow convention. And his inaugural event to mark the launch of his collaborative brand, ohio65, is no exception. Held during the Thursday, September 13 Art Walk, Haas is transforming Toledo City Paper’s parking lot into a space for experimentation, free expression and play.

Just wing it

Titled Renegade, the installation follows Haas’s long-held love of conspiring with other creative minds. He’s held participatory art projects-cum-fundraisers for Larkin Street Youth Center (for at-risk youth) and Hear SF, as well as launched spacescent 001 with design darling Yves Béhar and numerous collaborations with acclaimed Creative Director U-cef Hanjani. With Renegade, Haas takes his most open-ended approach yet, inviting visitors to the one-night only exhibit to let down their inhibitions and let their inner expressionist out to play.

“There’s so much in our lives that is planned down to the moment. Even our recreation,” comments Haas. “I wanted to create a place that’s more open-ended … a place that pushes people to act and to participate in the art, not just observe and pass judgment.” While not giving too much away (no spoiler alerts here), Haas does reveal that he is busy gathering a collection of objects — all painted white — that will help visitors let go and let loose. “I kept thinking about purity of thought, intention and spirit, so white became an obvious choice,” says Haas.

While the planning and preparation of Renegade has been in Haas’s hands, he concedes that at a certain point, he takes a back seat. “The viewers, or really, they’re participants, they are the ones who bring it to life,” Haas comments. “I have no control over their reaction or interaction with the piece, I just set the stage and let it unfurl and take the life that it is meant to have.” If pressed to place his work within the context of a larger genre or art community, Haas says he feels it comes closest to the field of ‘Social Practice,' a relatively new movement based in public art, social sculpture and project-based pieces. “I like to create situations that cause people to react, to explore their limits of comfort,” he says of his work and larger philosophy (hence his tagline for ohio65: “objects for the unsettled”).

Digital footprint

Like most Social Practice pieces, Renegade has a finite time span. It will only ‘exist’ for three hours during Toledo’s final art walk for 2012. He has, however invited anyone to submit their own Renegade actions on the blog section of his ohio65 website. As for submission type, Haas isn’t hung up on format. “Photos, video clips, drawings, writing … Renegade actions can come in lots of forms,” he says. “All mobile instigators welcome.”

Renegade: The Installation will be presented at the Toledo City Paper on Thursday, Sept. 13. 6-9pm. 1120 Adams St at the corner of 12th and Adams. 419-254-2787. www.acgt.org. Email reactions to the Renegade installation or send in your own submission to brent@ohio65.com.

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