THE HISTORY OF THE DIVISION: exhibition by Matt Shultz

at the University Museum, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale by Adrienne Foster.

The Southern Illinois University Museum of Carbondale held a truly unique exhibition this past March. Unlike the ceaseless run of postmodernist art that has deconstructed contemporary society to death without any opportunity for rebirth, I was quite refreshed to experience an exhibit that can only be referred to as a spiritual journey.  This show, The History of The Division, was an MFA thesis exhibition by SIUC graduate student Matt Schultz.

At the exhibition entrance is a table covered with an array of merchandise and printed material in black and red with The Division insignia that elicits associations with The Red Cross and Christianity. Posed in front of this wall is a cloaked figure that resembles a raven.  It is identified as the Trickster Crow, who is a sly messenger and is associated with reincarnation processes.

Though this exhibition was in fact a Master of Fine Arts thesis exhibition created by one artist, as was notated on the wall behind the Trickster Crow, no one seemed to notice; everyone seemed to be convinced of the reality of this organization.

Because of his choice of venue, the overall presentation of the exhibit, the diversity of artifacts included, and his meticulous attention to detail, Schultz presents a history of a fake organization that is so believable that the viewer is convinced of its true existence. Schultz then exposes himself as the divine creator of this “reality” to point to the construction of our belief systems in a capitalist and materialist society.

This typical museum exhibit has wax figures of important members within The Division, vitrines with artifacts, plaques that give a brief history of each character, and dioramas that position them in their respective environments, from THE DIVISION PAST to THE DIVISION PRESENT.  There is even an iMac set up to access the organization’s live website, TheDivision.org.

As can be seen in the prominent facial features of the figures and photographic representations of the party members, each character has a striking resemblance to the artist, which can easily be seen as the artist mingled throughout the exhibit, wearing a red dress-shirt and black slacks. It is as if he is a living character in this history. Correlation of member birth and death dates supports this; when one member “dies,” another is born.  This reincarnation process can also be seen in the myth of The Division god, Brx who is left on the earth “to die many times over” and has “hands like ash and pumice” which would require wearing gloves like those worn by all members depicted in the exhibit.

Schultz presents himself as the divine creator of this organization from its creation myth to present. Schultz is Brx, Dr. Baron Klaus von Heidelberg, Rudolph Stiener, The Unknown Soldier, and the Trickster Crow; he is the creator, the magician, the doctor, the priest, the shaman; he is the manipulator of symbols and language to trick the viewer into believing a constructed reality, but only to bring about spiritual healing.

An inattentive viewer is easily convinced of this organization’s reality because the evidence of its construction lies in the tiny details. However, Schultz’s artist statement quite clearly states his intentions in the available brochure: “My work addresses belief systems… Often we put faith in these systems without verifying their authenticity… Only by critically examining our world can we find the truth.”  Only by critical examination of Schultz’s exhibit will the viewer be able to unveil the construction of this organization, this “reality.”

Schultz’s intention is easily seen in his piece Horus Cristo 2¢, a painted case with a shrunken mummy that refers to Horus, an Egyptian god who was born to a virgin mother, was crucified, and rose from the dead three days later, and Jesus Christ, who shares this same history. The “2¢” recalls carnival sideshow acts that capitalize on mystery and viewer gullibility in order to make a few bucks. This piece suggests that these two religions are other forms of constructed belief systems used for monetary profit and calls viewers to question these systems for themselves. As I exit the exhibition, I pass the merchandise table with a better understanding of what I am being sold.  Ideas, like artifacts, are formed by humans, humans who are looking to understand the world they live in. Overtime, humans have lost touch with the world they were trying to understand, and have become completely involved in the world they have constructed. In a society run by materialism, seeing is believing.  Those who have control of what the masses see and consume, whether in science, politics, media, or religion, are the people who have the power and control over anyone who is willing to accept and consume what is being sold to them.

Matt Schultz is putting his foot down, as is an entire emerging generation of independent thinkers and doers who refuse to sit back and let themselves be consumed by a system that is taking over their money, their livelihood, and their beliefs.

The final section of the exhibit presents Schultz’s solution. A sweat lodge used by contemporary Division members in healing rituals refers to  the  reunification of humans with their greater Self.  Several significant artists throughout history have equated this spiritual healing with the transformative experience of art, including Marcel Duchamp, Joseph Beuys, and contemporary writer and “magician,” Alan Moore.  These men worked to heal the spirits of their audience through their art, as Schultz does in this exhibit.

Schultz’s The History of The Division is calling his audience to critically examine the society we live in, to see the constructions, to question belief systems, and, in short, to help bring us back to a more profound experience of the existence that we have in this amazing universe.  So question yourself, question your leaders, question your world—not out of rebellion or disrespect, but to find our flaws as humans and contribute to the effort to improve our world instead of allowing ourselves to be consumed by an increasingly broken one

[Show as slideshow]

Adrienne Foster, Master of Fine Arts Candidate  at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, is currently studying visual culture and digital media.

and from behind the projector…

It is even better full screen!

also, for more pics and events around the state during Contemporary Art Month, check back here often, and visit our main site!