Organized by Addison Namnoum

Guest Curated for AUTOMAT by Melanie Delach

How do we become who we need to be? And how do we find our way into our work? Although the act of artmaking may be thought of as a solitary endeavor, it takes a community to make an artist. Like a web of threads knit with care into a net, a cluster of connections binds us to one another and makes us more whole together than we might ever be alone. Artist to artist, we are enmeshed in relationship. In this show, pathways are proposed not just as ways forward but as ties that lie between us, connecting pasts, presents, and futures as much as people, practices, and ways of being.

With this in mind, each of the artists in Pathways were chosen for the important role they have held in the artistic community of Philadelphia and beyond. In their teaching and their making, they have charted their own paths and been wayfinders to countless others. They have tugged on the interstices of the weave, showing us how to build connections and envision new possibilities of seeing and being a part of this world. From the mentorship they have offered to emerging artists over the years, to their critical contributions to both our visual culture and the pedagogical landscape, we celebrate all their labors in community.

All artworks courtesy of the artists. Documentation and text by Addison Namnoum, 2024.