Friends of 21c St. Louis

Join 21c Museum Hotel St. Louis for a special reception featuring remarks from artist Sukanya Mani about her temporary art installation, Beside Between Beyond, and non-profit Community Impact partner Safe Connections, plus an opportunity to experience the installation and support an important cause.

Beside Between Beyond is a community based, research-driven art installation by St. Louis-based artist Sukanya Mani. Through the ongoing project, the artist intends to raise awareness about domestic abuse with a highlight on immigrant and refugee populations. Mani collects knowledge gathered from oral traditions, data and interviews, and transforms it into intricate paper cuts silhouettes and found object installations.

With the installation at 21c St. Louis, Mani’s artwork converses with The Future is Female exhibition, specifically Votive (You Art Going To Have To Save Yourself) by Julie Levesque. For nearly a year, the interactive artwork by Levesque, inspired by a Catholic church votive station, has invited visitors to “Take One and Pay What You Can,” offering bracelets with the simple phrase “You are going to have to save yourself” in exchange for donations that will be presented to Safe Connections for their mission to reduce the impact and incidence of domestic and sexual violence.

In Beside Betwen Beyond, Mani aims the lens towards immigrant and refugee communities, a group that is particularly vulnerable to domestic abuse. The artist is hopeful that conversation and greater awareness will encourage those experiencing violence to take the first step in saving themselves by seeking assistance.

The artwork will be on view at 21c St. Louis from Sunday, May 24 at 3pm through Thursday, May 28 at 9pm.