» Guggenheim Gallery: Currently on View
@fakingprofessionalism
August 28 – October 13, 2023
Chapman University’s Guggenheim Gallery on occasion of Wilkinson College’s Engaging the World is thrilled to announce @fakingprofessionalism, a solo presentation by Los Angeles based artist Cedric Tai.
I’d like to propose that ADHD/Autism just means ‘being bad at capitalism’ (being on time, accepting authority, etc.), which… isn’t the worst thing to be allergic to.
- Cedric Tai
@fakingprofessionalism is an evolving mis en scène that brings together artworks, a modular minigolf course, the artist’s temporary and improvised studio space, as well as references to keeping up appearances on social media. The installation blends three distinct social spaces: the workplace (the office and studio), a locus of negotiation and production; the exhibition space where finished products are displayed and discussed; and the sites of recreational activities, which are often haunted by the specter of professional networking. The merging of these spaces in the gallery provokes questions around the purposes, similarities, and differences of these sites. The fragmentary and ephemeral nature of @fakingprofessionalism mirrors not only diverse approaches to problem solving and the adaptable nature of the creative process, but also becomes a model of neurodivergent thinking. This is represented in how elements within the exhibition undergo transformations, unite with other segments, disappear, and subsequently resurface over the course of its duration.
In the realm of work-life, professionalism stands as a valuable standard that upholds quality, expertise, and ethical conduct. It sets a benchmark for proficiency and ensures that individuals are adequately trained and qualified to carry out their responsibilities. However, our rigid understanding of this concept often creates a culture of exclusivity, perpetuating a narrow definition of what constitutes legitimate expertise, while marginalizing individuals who do not conform to these standards. This rigidity frequently acts as a gatekeeping mechanism, stifling individuality and inhibiting the full realization of diverse talents and perspectives. In stark contrast, some neurodivergent individuals perceive intricate patterns and connections, especially valuable in fields that require complex problem-solving, data analysis, and innovative thinking. Furthermore, viewing all minds as existing within a neurospectrum challenges the idea of a singular ‘center’ from which all others diverge.
The exhibition raises compelling questions: What if we were to embrace a broader spectrum of behaviors, bodies, and minds that don't conform to traditional societal norms, rather than labeling some human actions as pathological? How can we further support the ways in which marginalized people live, work, and play, on their terms? In what ways can we redefine the usual rules of engagement, and what might this look like?
In conjunction with Chapman University’s new Health Humanities Minor, Tai invites gallery visitors to observe the ways in which they navigate mental health resources and systems in place for the public today. The artist also shares their perspectives through printed brochures such as ‘How to Advocate for Yourself at the Doctors Office’ and ‘An ADHD Zine for/by Artists’. In @fakingprofessionalism Tai gives experimental, provisional, and non-clinically proven answers that provide a middle ground between social media hot takes and inaccessible scientific discourse. Tai shares their personal journey through the American healthcare system, professional sphere, and art world.
Find out more about the artist and past exhibitions on the Gallery Programming page!
Our Mission
The Guggenheim Gallery provides provocative exhibitions and educational programming creating a local connection to the national and international dialogue about contemporary art and a framework for an interchange between artists, scholars, students and the community at large. While the exhibitions feature contemporary art, they often address other disciplines and societal issues in general. Integrated into the curriculum, these programs contribute significantly to Chapman education.
Art in its many forms embodies a playing field of visibility, representation and writing of history. As part of the landscape of institutions that populates this field, we want to contribute to actively forming a vision of society and our campus community that is anti-racist and anti-oppression, where art is not produced and consumed as a luxury good, but as a means of convening and expressing a critical, ethical, and moral view of the world, and speaking truth to power.
We acknowledge our responsibility to reflect the multiplicity and diversity of society and continue to commit to helping unwarp its distorted reflection in the art world. We are committed to continually educating ourselves and the community we serve, by exhibiting work that is contributing towards racial and gender equity and towards increasing diversity and inclusion. Through our exhibitions, events and virtual presence we pledge to raise the visibility and representation of Women and BIPOC Artists and their suppressed histories.
About the Gallery
The Guggenheim Gallery was built in 1975 with a gift from Robert and Shirley Guggenheim. It sponsors an annual schedule of exhibitions by professional artists, students and community arts organizations. As part of the regular programming, it proudly hosts a variety of collaborations with area institutions including 2017 Getty Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA initiative, 2013 California Pacific-Triennial Orange County Museum of Art, 2011 Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945–1980, Confronting Nature: Silenced Voices with Cal State Fullerton, Art and Architecture with ten So. California museums and galleries, and the 1994 Orange County Olympic Arts Festival.
Solo exhibitions by internationally known California artists such as Manuel Ocampo and Tim Hawkinson alternate with multimedia and medium specific group exhibitions organized around themes which have included urbanism, the Mexico-US Border, feminism, death and dying, sex and humor, the Vietnam war, public art and religion. Chapman students install group exhibitions each semester and are required to show their work individually in their Junior & Senior years.
Please note that the Guggenheim Gallery doesn't accept unsolicited exhibition proposals for review.
Neurospectrum Conference
Join us for a causual lunchtime chat with Cedric Tai, 12 - 1 p.m. and/or an evening Neurospectrum walk, 5 - 6:15 p.m. on Sept. 26, Oct. 11, and Oct. 24. Make sure to click on the QR code below and RSVP for the tour.
