Ne ws and Events

Jason's Story, Landfill and The Black Box at Eyeworks Festival

Jason's Story is a new collaborative animation by me and Yifan Jiang. I will also be screening Ladfill, and performing the slide lecture "The Black Box" at Eyeworks Festival in LA on Noember 1, 2025. More info here.

Nov. 1, 2220 Arts + Archives, Los Angeles - Tickets

___===_-_____'_______--__--_____-________---______=_______'____=________.________________________--_______
_________=====___________________________________________________________________________________._____
_'.._____._''''____'___'________''_____'____'''_____'_____'.._____._______________'______________________
_________________________________________________________.===.===________________________________________
_._____.._____=________________==____==_____=__.===_._=.=________________________==________==____=_____=_
_.___________________________..__________________====_________________________.______________________.__
=____________________________________-__.___________===__===_-___________.._____________________________

Mirror, Mirror at Meliksetian | Briggs

Mirror, Mirror is a two person show with me and Yifan Jiang at Meliksetian | Briggs in Dallas, TX, open June 8 - July 6, 2024. More info here.

The show features paintings by each of the artists alongside a collaborative video installation. The new exhibition sheds light on the many ways Jiang and Mercer are guided by the same star. This mutual influence can be seen directly in their animation, Vacation, 2022 and indirectly in their paintings. Two mirrors facing each other, reflecting each other's reflections, opening an endless tunnel, a feedbacking of sensibilities.

___===_-_____'_______--____-________---______=_______'____=________.________________________--___--_______
_______________________________________________________________________________________=====_____._____
_'.._____._''''____'___'_____________'____'''_____'_____'.._____._______________'___''___________________
_________________________________________________________.===.===________________________________________
_._____.._____=________________==____==_____=__.===_._=.=________________________==________==____=_____=_
_.___________________________..__________________====_________________________.______________________.__
=____________________________________-__.___________===__===_-___________.._____________________________

A Suitcase Project

I will have a painting in "A Suitcase Project", a big show of small works at Picture Theory in NYC and Kunstraum Super in Vienna. More info here.

May 14-19, Picture Theory, New York
June 14-29, Kunstraum Super, Vienna

__'_______--____-________---______=_______'____=________._____________________===_-_________--___--_______
_________________________________________________________________________=====___________________._____
_'___'_____________'____'''_____'_____'.._____._______________'___''___________'.._____._''''____________
______________________________.===.===___________________________________________________________________
_.____________==____==_____=__.===_._=.=________________________==________.._____=_________==____=_____=_
_.____________..__________________====_________________________._____________________________________.__
=________________-__.___________===__===_-___________.._________________________________________________

VACATION at Eyeworks Festival

VACATION will be showing at Eyeworks Festival. More info here.

Oct. 29 - 2220 Arts + Archives - LA
Nov. 11 - Museum of the Moving Image - NY
Nov. 18 - Block Cinema - Chicago

_______________________=====___________________._______________________________________________________
_'_____'___''___________'.._____._''''_____________'_____________'____'''_____'_____'.._____.____________
______________________________.===.===___________________________________________________________________
_.____________==____==_____=__.===_._=.=________________________==________.._____=_________==____=_____=_
_.____________..__________________====_________________________._____________________________________.__
__'_______--____-____________===_-_________--___--________---______=_______'____=________.________________
=________________-__.___________===__===_-___________.._________________________________________________

VACATION in To Your Eternity-- the 4th Future of Today Biennale

VACATION will be showing at the Today Art Museum in Beijing for To Your Eternity-- the 4th Future of Today Biennale. More info here.

Curated by Xin Wang

Opening time：2023.7.23
Duration: 2023.07.23 -- 2023.10.15
Location: Today Art Museum Hall 2, No.32 Baiziwan Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing

_______________________________________________._______________________________________________________
_'________'.._____._____________'______'___''_______''''_________'____'''_____'_____'.._____.____________
______________________________.===.===___________________________________________________________________
_.____________==____==_____=__.===________________________==________.._=.=_._____=_________==____=_____=_
_.____________..__________________====_________________________._____________________________________.__
__'_______--____-____________===_-_________--___--________---______=_______'____=________.________________
=________________-__.________===__===____-___________.._________________________________________________

VACATION at IFFR 2023

VACATION will be showing in the PoMoFoMo program at IFFR in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. More info here.

Screenings: 29 Jan 21:30 Cinerama 3, 30 Jan 13:30 Cinerama 2, 1 Feb 22:30 LantarenVenster 2

_______________________________________________._______________________________________________________
_'___________--_______.__________'______'___''_______''''_________'____'''_____'_____'.._____.____________
______________________________.===.===___________________________________________________________________
_.____________==____==_____=__.===________________________==________.._=.=_._____=_________==____=_____=_
_.____________..______________________________________________._____________________________________.__
__'_______--____-________________-_________--___--________---______=_______'____-________.________________-
=________________-__.______________=______-___________.._________________________________________________

VACATION at the Roswell Museum

Roswell Museum and Arts Center, 1011 N. Richardson Ave. Roswell, NM 88201

VACATION is an exhibition of two animations by Yifan Jiang and James J.A. Mercer. More info here.

"VACATION, the new animation by Mercer and Jiang, follows a protagonist road tripping home from college. A sudden volcanic eruption totals his car and destroys all his possessions. Barely surviving, our destitute star builds a life for himself out of furniture that has washed up on the shore, making an unremarkable patch of beach his home."

___________________________________________________________________________________________._____________
____'______'___''_______''''_________''___________--_______.___________'''_____'_____'.._____.____________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_.____________==____==_____=__.===________________________==________.._=.=_._____=_________==____=_____=_
_.____________..___________________________________________________________________________________..__
__________-_________--___--________---______=_______'_'_______--____-___________-________.________________-
=_______________=____________-__._________-___________.._________________________________________________

MFA Thesis Exhibition, Columbia University

Exhibition Dates: April 28th-May 22, 2021

Poster By Meredith Pence Wilson

Aika Akhmetova, Henry Anker, Catalina Antonio Granados, Roni Aviv, Patrick Bayly, Eric Brittain, Fontaine Capel, Susan Chen, Joanna Cortez, Monica Felix, Baris Gokturk, Jenn Hassin, Yifan Jiang, Clare Koury, Lau Wai, Paula Lycan, Cara Lynch, Erica Mao, James J.A. Mercer, Kathryn Ann Miller, Bradley Pitts, Stipan Tadic, Kiyomi Quinn Taylor, Meredith Pence Wilson, Mark Yang, Yi Sa-Ra Rosana Caban, Lauren Covey, Julian Day, Joan Hacker

__________-_________--___--________---______=_______'_'_______--____-___________-________.________________-
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________'___''_______''''_________''___________--_______.___________'''_____''______'.._____.____________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_.____________==____==_____=__.===__.._=.=_._____=____________________________==___________==____=_____=_
_.____________..___________________________________________________________________________________..__
=_______________=____________-__._________-___________.._________________________________________________

Two Truths and a Lie screening at Edge of Frame: States of Emergency

"The works in this programme were all completed in the USA during 2019-20. This profoundly turbulent and uncertain time has left its mark on each of the works, but in different ways, and some more overt than others. Animation techniques can generate a visceral sense of destabilisation, an undermining of the fluid continuity we might expect from the moving image. They can also reveal what might lie behind the surface of apparent reality; hidden patterns and disturbing truths. Animation is an artform well suited to a time of crisis, enabling the world around us to be broken up, taken apart and remade. It can also provide a space for direct and uninhibited expression where fears, dreams, questions and memories can take form and co-exist without constraint. These films contain perceptive and sometimes painful resonances with contemporary America, but beyond that they are also some of the most vital and original recent animation works from anywhere on the planet."

Visit the Edge of Frame blog for more information.

__._________________________-_________--___--________---______=_____--____-___________-_________________-
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
''_____''______'.._______________'___''_________.___________'''''_________''___________--____.____________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
._____=__________________==____.____________==_______=__.===__.._=.=__________==___________==____=_____=_
_._________________________________________________________________________________.._______..__________
_____-___________..__________=_______________=____________-__.___________________________________________

SOLUTIONS at Tomato Mouse

"Suppose we say that society is divided by an ever-widening gulf, that discourse has flattened, broken down or bottomed out, that we can no longer communicate without an agreed upon frame of reference. The problem of how we determine what is true, is less academic than ever. Art is the realm of the subjective, often, but more essentially a conduit for shared experience. Can art lead us out of this conundrum?"

Artists: Juliana Haliti, Ianthe Jackson, Alison Kudlow, Sarah La Puerta, Eleen Lin, James Mercer, Hiroshi Shafer, Rachael Wren, Yana Zorina

View the show at tomatomouse.org

__________-_________--___--________---______=__.____________________--____-___________-_________________-
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________'___''_________.___________'''_____''______'..______''''_________''___________--____.____________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_.____________==_______=__.===__.._=.=_._____=__________________==____________==___________==____=_____=_
_._________________________________________________________________________________.._______..__________
=_______________=____________-__._________-___________.._________________________________________________

MINORLY MAGICAL, curated by Annette Hur

Poster by yours truly!

October 15-22, 2020
K & P Gallery, 547 w27th street #518, New York, NY

"Some days were good, some were untenable. This time would not be remembered as the best thing that has ever happened to them but the result seems minorly magical." - Annette Hur

Artists: Baris Gokturk / Bradley Pitts / Cara Lynch / Catalina Antonio / Clare Koury / Eric Brittain / Erica Mao / Henry Anker / James Mercer / Jenn Hassin / Joan Hacker / Joanna C / Julian Day / Monica Felix / Roni Aviv / Lau Wai / Yi Sa-Ra / Yifan Jiang

--________---______=__.________________-_________--_________________--____-___________-_________________-
_________'___''_________.___________'..______''''_________''___________--____.___________'''_____''_______
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_.____________==_______==.=_._____=__________________==____________==______.===__..________==____=_____=_
_._________________.._______..__________________________________________________________________________
=_______________________________=____________-__._________-___________.._________________________________

Beach System in Drawing Challenge XV

__._________________________-_________--___--________---______=_____--____-__________________________-__-
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
''_____''______'.._______________'___''_________.___________'''''_________''___________--____.____________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
._____=__________________==____.____________==_______=__.===__.._=.=__________==___________==____=_____=_
_____-___________..__________=_______________=____________-__.___________________________________________
_._________________________________________________________________________________.._______..__________

Selected paintings from SPRING/BREAK NYC

__._________________________-_________--___--________--''______=_____--____-__________________________'__-
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
''_____''______'.._______________'___''_________.___________'''''_________''___________--____.____________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
._____=__________________==____.____________==_______=__.'''__.._=.=__________==___________==____=_____=_
_____-___________..__________=_______________=____________-__.________'''_______________________________
_.________________________________________________________________________________..________..__________

ALONE TOGETHER - STEVE TURNER

"Steve Turner is pleased to present Alone Together, an online exhibition featuring new work by twenty-four members of the Columbia University MFA Class of 2020. On March 15th, all MFA students at Columbia were given 48 hours to vacate their studios. For the class of 2020, this was especially traumatic because it meant that each student was also losing the opportunity to have a thesis exhibition. After being displaced, the artists went their separate ways and started working from their apartments, many of which are in New York, the epicenter of the virus. In Alone Together, we will present works that the artists have made since they left their studios at Columbia."

Online Exhibition Hosted by Steve Turner, Los Angeles
May 10-June 6, 2020

AIKA AKHMETOVA, HENRY GABRIEL ANKER, RONI AVIV, PATRICK BAYLY, ERIC BRITTAIN, FONTAINE CAPEL, SUSAN M B CHEN, JOANNA CORTEZ, MONICA FELIX, BARIS GOKTURK, JENN HASSIN, YIFAN JIANG, CLARE KOURY, YUSHAN LIU, CARA LYNCH, ERICA MAO, JAMES J.A. MERCER, KATHYRN ANN MILLER, BRADLEY PITTS, STIPAN TADIC, KIYOMI QUINN TAYLOR, MEREDITH PENCE WILSON, MARK YANG AND YI SA-RA

--___________________--____-___________-___________________---______=__.________________-_________--____-
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________'___''_________.___________'..______''''_________''___________--____.___________'''_____''_______
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_._____________________==______.===__..________==____===_______==.=_._____=__________________==________=_
__.._______...___________________________________________________________________________________________
=___________________________________=____________-__._________-_______.._________________________________

NEW VIDEO: TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE!!!

I have recently finished a new 20 minute animated video 'Two Truths and a Lie" with Yifan Jiang.

It will be showing at the Commiserate Chicago festival, on Feb 29th, at Noon

For more info visit commiserate.life

_______---______=__.________________-_________--_--___________________--____-___________-_______________-
____________--____.___________'''__'___''_________.___________'..______''''_________''___________''_______
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_._____________________==______.===__..________==_________________==________=__===_______==.=_._____=____
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________.._______..._________
=____________=____________-__._________-_______..________________________________________________________

AESTHETICALLY FUNCTIONAL ONLY

"The Summer Show is a yearly off campus exhibition by students at Columbia University's School of the Arts M.F.A. program, both first and second year students. The Summer Show is organized by a volunteer committee of first year Visual Arts students. The 2019 MFA Summer Show "Aesthetically Functional Only" is curated by Edsel Williams. Williams curates private and public art collections, and owns and directs The Fireplace Project in East Hampton NY, where he presents 3-5 exhibitions per year."

Supersweet Poster by Meredith Pence Wilson

1675 Broadway, New York, NY (at 52nd Street)
July 24 - August 10, 2019
Opening reception: Wednesday July 24, 2019 6-9pm
Open hours: Tues - Sat 1 to 6pm, or by appointment
Closing Reception: Saturday, August 10 @ 5-9 PM.

A young Yu, Aika Akhmetova, Annette Hur, Baris Gokturk, Bat-Ami Rivlin, Bradley Pitts, Cara Lynch, Catalina Antonio Granados, Clare Koury, Dante Migone-Ojeda, Emma Schwartz, Eric Brittain, Erica Mao, Esteban Jefferson, Fontaine Capel, Henry Gabriel Anker, James J.A. Mercer, James McCracken Jr, Jeffrey Meris, Jenn Hassin, Jessica Magallanes Martinez, Joan D. Hacker, Joanna Cortez, Julian Day, Kate Liebman, Kathryn Ann Miller, Kiyomi Quinn Taylor, Mark Yang, Meredith Pence Wilson, Monica Felix, Nicole Burko, Noah Jackson, Patrick Bayly, Paula Lycan, Priscilla Aleman, Rachel LaBine, Rafael Domenech, Roni Aviv, Rosana Caban, Ruhee Maknojia, Saskia Krafft, Stipan Tadic, Susan M B Chen, Susanna Koetter, Taejoong Kim, Travis Fairclough, Vikram Divecha, Vivian Chiu, Wai Lau, Xirin, Yi Sa-Ra, Yifan Jiang, Yushan Liu

________________---______=__.________________-_________--____---___________________--____-___________-___
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________'..______''''___--____._______''________''____.__________'_________________''_______'''_________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________....._________________________________________________________________________________
_._____.__.===_____________.._________________________==_______===_______==.===______=_______==________=_
=________________________._____________..__________-____________________=____________-___________________