The University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery will present “A Radical Turn,” an exhibition featuring the work of artist, curator and anti-war veteran Aaron Hughes. The exhibition opens Oct. 13 and runs through Nov. 20.
Hughes will also deliver an Engaged Citizenship Common Experience Speaker Series lecture from 6 to 7 p.m. Oct. 22 in Brookens Auditorium, located on the lower level of Brookens Library.
According to a community announcement, the lecture, titled “A Radical Turn: Artist, Curator and Anti-War Veteran Aaron Hughes on Creative Resistance,” will explore how art can help us understand complex histories, connect with others and take action for a better world.
Following the lecture, the UIS Visual Arts Gallery will host an exhibition reception for “A Radical Turn” from 7 to 8:30 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.
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The exhibition features original works and archival materials that celebrate the legacy of anti-war veteran activism and GI resistance. The works highlight veterans’ shift from militarism toward solidarity, proposing new alignments rooted in shared experiences of oppression and the collective struggle for freedom and democracy, according to the announcement.
Hughes is known for his interdisciplinary practice rooted in drawing and printmaking. He collaborates to create meaning from personal and collective trauma, aiming to transform systems of oppression and seek liberation. His projects utilize popular research strategies, experiment with forms of direct democracy and operate in solidarity with those most impacted by structural violence.
His work has been showcased in venues worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead, Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Haus der Kulturen der Welt in Berlin, Maruki Gallery in Tokyo, Ashkal Alwan in Beirut and the School of Visual Arts Museum in New York. Hughes has received numerous awards, grants, residencies and fellowships from institutions such as the Center for Study of Race, Politics and Culture at the University of Chicago, Illinois Humanities, Ashkal Alwan, Blue Mountain Center, Lawrence Arts Center, Links Hall, The Kitchen and Penland School of Craft.
Hughes collaborates with various art and activist groups, including Justseeds Artists’ Cooperative, About Face: Veterans Against the War, the emerging Veteran Art Movement and Prison + Neighborhood Arts/Education Project. He resides in Chicago.
The UIS Visual Arts Gallery is located in the Health and Sciences Building, room 201. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday. For more information, visit the UIS Visual Arts Gallery website.
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This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Anti-war veteran art on display at UIS Visual Arts Gallery