PERFORMATIVE STORIES

An immersive exhibition infused with theatrical flair and narrative depth.

“Tell me a story” is a request as old as time and has formed the basis of human exploits since humans began to communicate. From the cave drawings at Altamira to the superheroes who zoom across our screens, we are in the thrall of stories.

Join us for the opening reception, Thursday, January 15 from 6 – 8 pm. Exhibit runs through March 4, 2026.

The four artists featured in Performative Stories have created works which provide visual expansion to the art of storytelling, Dan Hurlin, Janie Geiser, Maiko Kikuchi and Jason Gardner employ colorful figures and motion to express varied narratives. As creators, they ask that you as an audience member apply your imagination to complete their presentations. Curators Leslee Asch and Kate Sheridan Chung have expanded the conventional idea of storytelling to include tales that ask for viewer participation in constructing the plot. In an age of digital avatars, AI-generated characters, and cinematic universes, our thirst for constructed realities remains unquenched.

Dan Hurlin, an award-winning theater artist, presents his figures in arrested time allowing the viewer to fill in the rest. The artwork presented in this show includes a large installation piece featuring 1⁄2 scale human figures in a setting that captures a moment in time. He invites viewers to interpret the implied story and emotion presented. He has taught at Sarah Lawrence, Barnard, Bowdoin, Bennington and Princeton. In 2014 he won the Rome Prize in visual art, and he has had three MacDowell Colony Fellowships. Dan currently divides his time between New York City and Spoleto, Italy.

Janie Geiser is a renowned experimental filmmaker and multimedia artist whose images demand viewers free their imaginations and allow themselves to be swept away by a flow of objects and ideas. Conventional rules of language and action step aside, and the resulting images reach the unconscious, associative realm of the mind, both stimulating and startling her audience. Her films have been screened at major museums including National Gallery of Art, MoMA, the Whitney, the Guggenheim, LACMA, Centre Pompidou, and the British Film Institute. Her films have also screened at festivals including The New York Film Festival and London International Film Festival. She is based in Los Angeles and teaches at Cal Arts.

Maiko Kikuchi, a Tokyo-born artist and sculptor creates imaginary worlds as visual monologues. Still figures come to life and transform into moving characters and objects that delight viewers with their versatility. The transformation from a still life picture to a fanciful animation charms viewers with its imaginative and unexpected connections. She has presented her visual art works in several New York City galleries and has created work for numerous music videos and album covers. Maiko has an M.F.A. in sculpture from the Pratt Institute.

Jason Gardner, a photographer, approaches storytelling as a visual anthropologist. Gardner has documented rural Carnivale celebrations for fifteen years in fifteen countries. He explores aspects of this ancient tradition, which stretches across continents, involving ritual, music, and pageantry as expressions of the human spirit. Gardner’s artistic sensitivity for color, form and composition is evident in every image. His photography has appeared in numerous publications including The New York Times, Sunday Times Magazine (UK), Rolling Stone, and New York Magazine. His work has also been exhibited widely including Lincoln Center, New Orleans Jazz Fest, and several consulates. In 2024 GOST Books, London published his book We the Spirits. All of the photos to be exhibited in this exhibition appear in We The Spirits. Jason currently divides his time between New York and Paris.

Events:

Opening Reception: Thursday, January 15, 2026, 6 – 8 pm

Artist Talk: Saturday, January 17, 2026, 2 pm, featuring Jason Gardner and Dan Hurlin

Artist Talk: Sunday, March 1, 2026, featuring Janie Geiser and Maiko Kikuchi

Art Lounge in conjunction with Friends Friday Films: Date and film TBD

The Flinn Gallery is a non-profit organization funded and sponsored by Friends of Greenwich Library. It is located on the second floor of the library at 101 West Putnam Avenue, Greenwich, CT.
Gallery hours are Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm, Thursday 10am-8pm, and Sunday 1-5pm.