By Montreal Spencer/south news editor
Corban LaFon /The Collegian
Years ago, a little girl named Anne Albagli dreamed of becoming an artist, and after 20 years of preparation, visitors to South Campus can see her Dream a Little Dream exhibition at the Carillon Gallery in the Joe B. Rushing Center for Performing Arts.
The exhibit, on display until Feb. 18, is a green dome filled with handmade tarps of green plastic grass, white clouds made of chicken-wire wrapped plastic, an altar in the center and family Polaroids hanging and on the ground.
“I’ve been working on it since the very beginning of December and installing it the last two weeks,” Albagli said hours before opening night. “I’m really excited about having people in the space because I’ve been doing it alone so long.”
Albagli specialized in art at Scuola Internazionale Di Grafica, in Venice, Italy, graduated from Boston University College of Fine Arts and studied contemporary art under curator Ory Dessau at Bezalel Academy of Art in Jerusalem, Israel.
Albagli, who has painted and sculpted for 23 years, said she is curious how other people will experience her work.
“I mainly created a simulated environment,” she said. “It feels artificial but also special. I’m interested in seeing what people will take from it.”
Since people interpret art differently, the artist’s intended meaning isn’t always the same as what is seen by others. Art for a long time was made for religious reasons, Albagli said.
“I intended it to be based on sacred places and to be a quiet, meditative place,” she said.
Joshua Goode, South art instructor, said people should make a visit to the gallery.
“It will be an amazing installation,” he said. “Nothing like this has been exhibited in Fort Worth for a long time.”
South art student Forest Crocker briefly assisted Albagli with the hanging of two of the clouds. He found the task daunting.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the finished piece,” he said. “She went through all the trouble of putting the dome together and hanging up clouds.”
South art student Charles Gray said he plans to see Albagli’s work.
“She’s an up-and-coming artist, and I want to support her,” he said. “She has good installations, and she thinks outside the box.”
South art student Ruth Ramirez said she is excited to see the completed installation.
“She showed us some installations that I look forward to seeing,” she said. “Maybe after seeing it, I’ll get a different perspective of how she sees things.”
Several hours later, it was officially opening night. South student Chris Oliva said the installation was an inspirational piece, and it felt like being in a fantasy.
“It’s nice to see. It looks like a dream to me,” he said. “After reading her statement, my interpretation was the same as hers.”
South student Juan Hernandez said the piece was like being inside of Albagli’s head.
“It shows what she was thinking and her memories,” he said.
“It makes you feel if you were in her body, what you would see and what your memories would be.”
South student Katie Temple said the exhibition was cool.
“It looks like a tribute to the people in the photographs. I’ve actually never seen any art like this,” she said.
South student Brandon Slimmer said he enjoyed the whole arrangement of the art.
“I like how you can walk in the presentation and decide for yourself what it is about,” he said.
South student Mary Ayala said she helped Albagli a little with the installation of the piece.
“I was impressed by as much work as she put into it how humble she was about her work,” she said. “You can tell because it comes out in her work she is a spiritual person. I can tell by the process of her bringing it together.”
Albagli said she was happy with the turnout.
“I think it’s been really good to be around people forming their own opinions about the work and them going inside of the piece,” she said.
The Carillon Gallery hours are 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
Appointments also can be made by calling 817-515-4216.
