To define our current artistic epoch is a highly contested topic among scholars. Because of the instant dissemination of visual media as a result of the internet age, a positive increase in individual identity has flourished. In spite of our immediate connection to others all around the world, an equally significant sense of isolationism has also grown. With the bombardment of visual imagery facilitated by social media, can there be original contemporary art movements as they were conceived of in previous decades? Historically, art movements were geographically defined. Take, for instance, Pop Art and New York, or Surrealism and Paris. How has the internet age impacted this concept of geographically tethered movements, and what does that look like in a Southern town such as Wilmington? 

For better or for worse, the internet age has facilitated an artistic culture of inspiration. In the positive sense, this agent of the modern age has given artists the opportunity to explore movements gone by and define their individual existence regardless of geography or time. In an effort to facilitate a tangible conversation of art in the internet age, this exhibition also looks back to history. Using the salon style of 19th century Paris as a catalyst, this Fried Fruit exhibition brings together a diverse selection of over 30 local artists to break the façade of internet induced isolation. Illuminating the positive reflection of the internet age and what it has brought about, this exhibition makes clear that there is no one movement that the local community, or individual, must adhere to in order to be a valuable creative force. 

Curated by Skye Dlugy-Hegwer