04.27.11 home | north bay bohemian index | the arts | visual arts | review ## What the . . . ? 'Reconstructed World' tweaks the mundane By Shelby Pope Cities made of Jello. Tiny peepholes into an urban landscape. A reconstructed, Frankenstein Fiat. "Reconstructed World," di Rosa's new exhibit opening this week, asks a necessary question in our information-overloaded times: Just how strange and eye-catching does something have to be for us to slow down and really examine it? "We're always going so fast," says di Rosa's Ann Trinca of the show's concept. "[We're] Facebooking and tweeting, without really looking around at our surroundings and what they really mean." The show features pieces in a variety of media, each demanding lengthy contemplation. Every piece in the show uses something familiar and tweaks it slightly, with individual conclusions to be drawn by the viewer, Trinca says, explaining that "[the artists] are using everyday surroundings to recontextualize and rebuild them." Pieces include Tracey Snelling's installations that center around seedy motels, rooms lit only by the light of the TV and other iconic American imagery; Liz Hickok's city reconstructions made from Jello, mimicking the literally shaky nature of the Bay Area landscape; and the artist team Leonardogillesfleur's double front-ended Fiat (above), which aims to make a point about the struggle between individual and collaborative work. "Reconstructed World" opens with a reception on Saturday, April 30, at di Rosa. 5200 Carneros Hwy., Napa. 6-8pm. Show runs until June 4. 707.226.5991. Send a letter to the editor about this story.