Romanian artist traces city

One may wonder why a Romanian media artist, now living and working in the Netherlands, would be interested in assembling an exhibition involving Charleston.

The improbable amalgam of an assemblage came about when Dr. Marion Mazzone, chair of the College of Charleston's art history department, read about the media projects mingled with history that were produced by Calin Dan.

The outcome is "Emotional Architecture: Azimuth of Fizzure," a multimedia exhibition opening Friday at the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art at the College of Charleston. Curated by Mazzone, the exhibit will be on display through June 20.

"Since I had studied Eastern European art, I had known about Calin's work, and also I had corresponded with him," says Mazzone. "In view of the fact he had focused mainly on Romania and Estonia in his media exhibits, I thought that Charleston might interest him as a different place to explore. And so I invited him to visit here in February."

Mazzone's hunch was correct. Dan became fascinated with Charleston to the point that he unearthed from the archives of the University of South Carolina's South Caroliniana Library a vintage photograph he titled "Azimuth of Fizzure, N3OW." It is a scene taken of the aftermath of the 1886 earthquake in Charleston.

"At first, Calin was just going to take photos here, but then he decided also to shoot videos, combining them with architecture and archival materials," Mazzone says of the exhibit that consists of interwoven video, photography and performance.

The Halsey secured funding from several sources at the college and from The Mondrian Foundation of the Netherlands, which supports a number of international artists. "The material shows Calin's interest in architecture and memory as he traces the city's urban fabric; it's a haunting juxtaposition of our current environment with documentary images," Mazzone says.

The curator explains that Dan often starts by choosing a certain venue and then uses videos and photography and talks with passers-by, all to get the feel of his surroundings to create a complete impression of that particular environment.

In a written message, the media artist says, " 'Emotional Architecture' is a concept engineered to facilitate a new perspective on converging phenomena such as habitat, religion and crowd management."

He adds, "The 'emotional' perspective on 'architecture' was facilitated by the acceleration occurring lately in domains such as scale economies, balances of political power, construction technologies and their respective visual reflection."

Having presented his "Emotional Architecture" project at the Sydney (Australia) Biennale, The Hague and the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Bucharest, Dan says his work also deals with "assimilation of chaos theories and information technologies; suppression of spiritual practices and enhancement of collective narcissism."

A reception honoring Dan will be held 5-7 p.m. Friday at the Halsey Institute in the Simons Center for the Arts. Also, the media artist will give a gallery talk at 1 p.m. Saturday, also at the Halsey. Both events are open to the public.

Gift for CSO Gospel Choir

The Charleston Symphony Orchestra has announced that Dolphin Architects and Builders has contributed $10,000 to the CSO Gospel Choir.

Walter G. Seinsheimer Jr. , former CSO board member, a founding partner of the Gospel Choir and president of the local designing/building firm Dolphin Architects and Builders, says: "The CSO Gospel Choir is a leading artistic component of the area's cultural landscape. And I, personally, adore the music! Dolphin is excited to support the choir in its effort to unite the community through its inspiring sounds."

CSO board President Leo Fishman adds, "For eight seasons now, the CSO Gospel Choir has captivated audiences with its powerful message, and it would not have been possible without the vision of Wally Seinsheimer."

Lee Pringle, chair of the CSO's Community Partners and president of the Gospel Choir, says that after a trip he and Seinsheimer took to hear the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's Gospel Christmas concert, "We immediately saw the need for Charles- ton to have a racially diverse musical group focusing on gospel and African-American spirituals."

Last summer, the group toured Europe, where it performed in several churches. The approximately 60-member choir, conducted by Glenn R. Nixon, will perform at 5 p.m. May 23 and 24 at Citadel Square Baptist Church, 328 Meeting St., as part of the 2008 Piccolo Spoleto Festival.

Concert in the park

In a lakefront setting, the Charleston Symphony Orchestra will present a free concert Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Smythe Park on Daniel Island, presented by the Daniel Island Community Fund. The event also will feature a fireworks finale. Prizes will be awarded for the most elaborate and creative picnic spreads, with set-up starting at 5:30 p.m. and judging at 6:30 p.m. Also, Ted's Butcherblock and Mr. Koolie will offer items for sale including beer, wine and hot sandwiches.

For directions on how to get there, call 971-5477 or e-mail maggie.hackett@danielisland.com.

Reach Dottie Ashley at 937-5704 or dashley@postandcourier.com.