We Are Working All the Time!

Book excerpt: The first comprehensive study of this innovative and interactive multimedia artist The artistic practice of Piotr Szyhalski encompasses an impressive array of media and genres: from poster design to experimental music, from interactive web-based art to large-scale conceptual installations, from public performance to innovative pedagogy. His commitment to viewer engagement with art and meaning making characterizes all of his work, which constantly strives to advance the multiplicities and complexities of our understandings. "We Are Working All the Time!" he proclaims, both in his graphic design and in his thematic approach to interactive art. Born and trained in Poland, Szyhalski is a vital presence in the Twin Cities. A professor of design and new media art at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and a codirector of Art(ists) On the Verge, his art and performance push boundaries, embrace contradictions, and welcome participation. This midcareer survey of the work of this iconoclastic visual artist accompanies an exhibition of his art at the Weisman Art Museum in 2020. Contributors: Karine Léonard Brouillet, Montreal Museum of Fine Art; Emily Ruth Capper, U of Minnesota; Steve Dietz, Northern Lights.mn; Theresa Downing, U of Minnesota; Michael Gallope, U of Minnesota.