Sophie Sanders

Museum of No Spectators at Burning Man

"In a radically inclusive and interactive way, the Museum of No Spectators creates a space for everyone to make art and become an exhibiting artist. With the intention of allowing art to continue to develop during event week, burners radically self-express by adding to or subtracting from existing pieces or creating their own in a de-commodified space.

The Museum of No Spectators (MoNS) asks a question – what would a museum be like on the playa within Burning Man culture? What would you do there? What role would art play, what role would people play, what role would you play? It picks up the debate of the participatory nature of Burning Man culture in contrast to the Default World museum experience. MoNS turns the concept around and creates a fully participatory container by encouraging people to participate playfully with the idea of what museums and participatory art means in terms of creating and nurturing culture. Radically inclusive and highly interactive, MoNS creates a space for all citizens of BRC to become exhibiting artists."

See 2022 Exhibition

Nesting and Spreading & Falling and Flying in the Living Library

Elsewhere Museum
606 S Elm St, Greensboro, NC

Sophie Sanders’ Elsewhere Museum project Nesting and Spreading consists of prayer flags and a flying banner. Her installation mines the museum collection to express the richly material presence of Elsewhere, it’s cultural history and mission, and elaborate on her recent fascination with cyanotype.  Sanders responded to the overstimulating experience of the museum by attempting to create a foothold in the space. She selected specific objects and textures in the museum to make photograms on cyanotype fabric, part of a series she has been developing over the past year, and she interspersed some of these forms with her own image collection.  

Sanders found an existing “nest” in the former Aviary loft and decided to create photogram prayer flags to hang above the Living Library and the storefront window. Conscious of the ethical and collaborative goals of Elsewhere, its Jewish history, and some of the library content, she invites others to consider the spiritual dimension of this place.

Sanders' Banner Project entitled Falling and Flying in the Living Library was made in collaboration with multidisciplinary artist and dancer, Cara Hagen and Elsewhere’s Executive Director, Matthew Giddings.

Link to Artist Spotlight.

Link to News Spotlight on the artist residency and re-opening of  Elsewhere Museum.

Ophelia Rising

Roger Williams Gallery at New England College
77 Amherst Street, Manchester, NH

This series explores the tragic character Ophelia, from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. In my prints of Ophelia, I interpolate this character into a contemporary context. Ophelia is represented in various prints by young women of color, a middle-aged Semitic woman, and two elder women of various races. I transform Ophelia from the teenage victim of insanity and suicide into a woman who claims her sensuality, her courage in facing many attacks human rights and freedoms, and a person who experiences the full cycle of life.

For more exhibition details regarding Ophelia Rising contact: 
Devon Mozdierz, Visiting Professor and Gallery Director, 603.428.2517 dmozdierz@nec.edu

Sight/Insight

Simon Center at New England College
98 Bridge Street, Henniker, NH

At New England College's Simon Center, Sophie Sanders will present recent works on the theme of the human eye and brain. Taking inspiration from Odilon Redon’s mysterious images of eyes and also her photos of the eyes of loved-ones, she often combines eyes into a mandala. Sanders will also create a collaborative installation of an "Eye Mandala" with NEC students to be exhibited at the Manchester campus. In an era of fleeting digital images and fake information, she suggests that the eye is one of the few places we can still search for truth in another person's psyche.

"Ophelia Rising", Wind Challenge

Fleisher Art Memorial
719 Catherine Street, Philadelphia, PA

Established in 1978, the Wind Challenge Exhibition Series is an annual juried competition committed to enriching and expanding people’s lives through art. Since its inception, the series has introduced regional contemporary art from over three hundred artists to a broad audience and has helped emerging artists advance their professional careers.