Press Release

Considering Olafur Eliasson’s intention of having his viewers “see themselves seeing”, as well as the light based sculptures of Laszlo Mohlogy-Nagy – this piece “Academy of Light,” interacts with the transformative characteristics of light.

Hung like a chandelier from the center of the room, the piece is outfitted with prismatic acrylic that captures and refracts ambient light from outside the window.

As daylight changes into nightfall, “Academy of Light” also changes: the coolness of early morning light will grant a completely different visua than midday or sunset. At night, light bursts out of the center of the piece, once again changing its interactivity.

Ben Sloat received a BA from the University of California, Berkeley (’99) and a MFA from the Museum School/Tufts University (’05).

Recent exhibitions include solo shows at the Steven Zevitas Gallery in Boston, MMX in Berlin, 126 Gallery in Galway, Ireland, and ACC Gallery in Taipei, Taiwan, – group shows at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and BRIC in Brooklyn. His work has been reviewed in CIRCA Ireland, Taipei Times, New York Times, Oakland Tribune, and the Boston Globe, and he has guest lectured at National Taiwan University of the Arts, National Sun Yat Sen University, UC Berkeley, RISD, UC Santa Cruz, UMass Boston, Boston University, and SCAD. Having taught at Tufts University, Mass Art, and the SMFA, he currently teaches photography, digital media, and photo history at the Art Institute of Boston.