animated shorts at the ICA

 It was a blessing to have visited the Institute of Contemporary Art, considering that this past week was the first time I’ve stepped foot into the asymmetrical-looking building. The museum was very fun to wander, especially how the exhibit (which was housed on the third floor, whereas all the other floors were wasting away with non-art related stuff) was made up of serpentine pathways and intriguing compositions. The most enjoyable addition of the trek to the ICA was the giant, glass elevator lofting dozens of people to their designated destination. The elevator was just about the same size as my single dorm room, so the entire time I was riding the contraption I imagined my room hauling various people in an up and down motion (Yes, it’s quite silly of me to imagine this!).

Before viewing the charming short animation films, I wandered the exhibit to pass the time. The first artist I encountered was Mark Bradford, an abstract artist who had interesting pieces of map-like, often highly saturated works of art. His abstractions carries narratives of its own, composed of color and infused with references to urban life. There was another contemporary exhibit around the corner, featuring a number of works that tickled my funny bone (my favorites were the colossal receipts, translated in Spanish, and the can on the conveyor belt).

The animated short films hosted at the ICA were the highlight of my night, which shows without saying that they did not disappoint my expectations! This year animators from various cultures and communities created a bundle of creative animated stories, with some peppered with charming dialogue and others depicted in wondrous animation. Madagascar was beautifully illustrated, almost watercolor-like in a film reel motion, while Let’s Pollute echoed the satirical voice of the 50’s & 60’s educational films. Despite the 27 minute length, The Gruffalo was a visually magical expedition of a mouse being opposed by various predators while searching for a nut. My favorite of the films was the academy award winning film called The Lost Thing. I was not only engaged with the visual quirks of the animation, but I was also drawn toward the bizarre conundrum that was often brought up: where did the creature come from?

Overall the trip was worth the while! I’m definitely going to encourage my family to visit the ICA in the near future.