The Body Overwhelms - Nicole Banowetz
Inspired by processes inside the human body and organisms in our natural environment, artist Nicole Banowetz has created a magnified petri dish of organic forms, overwhelming the front windows of the Famous Hardware Store.
Everyday, our bodies and environments are put under extreme stress by external and microscopic forces, yet remain resilient and adaptable. By enlarging these minute stresses, Banowetz helps us question and comprehend the mysteries we encounter within our physical world. As you peer into the depths of the abandoned Famous Hardware you enter a strange new realm. The sculptural forms here manifest into strange deep sea-like-creatures, bizarre aliens, or ghosts descending from above as if phantoms from within our own imaginations.
In addressing the unknowable in our physical realm, we are invited to find meaning in unexpected places: in our relationship to the environment and the organisms that help us thrive.
Artist Bio
Nicole Banowetz is a Colorado-based sculptor and educator. As an avid hiker, Banowetz finds inspiration in landscapes and cultures and is always looking for strange and exciting plants, animals and microscopic life. She has lived and worked in India, Italy, Ireland, Russia, Germany, Sweden, Poland, and England, and shown work in large international exhibitions such as The Amsterdam Light Festival, Bad Art's Hot Air in London, UK, OpenArt in Örebro, Sweden, and PASSAGES INSOLITES in Quebec City, Canada. She has taken part in environmental residencies and exhibitions in California, Colorado, Connecticut, and Finland. (93)
The Famous Hardware Store
Located at 113 West Emma Avenue, Springdale, Arkansas, Famous Hardware art installations began in 2021 as a way to make art accessible to the Springdale community and create new experiences for people visiting the city’s downtown. Each installation is visible from the sidewalk in front of the Famous Hardware building and are explained in English, Spanish and Marshallese.
Famous Hardware Store curations were a partnership between CACHE and the Downtown Springdale Alliance, with funding support from the Tyson Family Foundation.
Video: Travis Kersh
