Embracing Fallibility A Neon Exhibition by James Akers

“Embracing Fallibility” is an exhibition of neon sculptures that celebrate the fallibilities that make humans human.

On view: April 11- July 19, 2025

Gallery hours: Tuesday-Sunday 11am-6pm. Closed Monday.

Exhibition Reception, Artist Talk, & Neon Demonstration: Friday April 11, 2025 6-8:30pm RSVP Here

Location: Foci MN Center for Glass Arts, 2213 Snelling Ave, Minneapolis, MN, 55404

This exhibition is supported by grant funding from the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass.

Artist Biography

James Akers is a Brooklyn, New York based artist working with glass, computers, and electricity. Akers grew up in Maryland skateboarding, playing guitar and hacking video games. He received a BFA from Alfred University in 2015 and currently operates a neon fabrication company called Nebula Neon with his partner, Ali Feeney. His artwork has been shown in museums, galleries, fairs, and homes around the world. In his work Akers finds interest in themes of celebration and excess, digital surveillance and influence, consumerism, bliss, and rebellious subversion. He employs a messy approach when designing and assembling his sculptures embracing a “show your work” philosophy. Exploring the idea of a decentralized internet made for and by its users, Akers has recently been programming a series of web-server sculptures as a component to his work outside of the glass studio.

Exhibition Statement

Humans make mistakes. With an elastic definition of success, we are bound to “mess up”. To mistake is to be human, and our own fallibilities make us who we are. In today's era of surveillance and automation to enhance business objectives, human fallibilities are often framed in a negative light, to be replaced by seemingly infallible “machine intelligence”. Fallible as we may be, there are still many things that humans do to an astonishing level of accuracy. Driving, infrastructure, music and architecture are all done by humans. All of the glass in this exhibition was made by the human who wrote this text. Usually with a paper template that the glass is bent to. Overall, there are celebrations of human intuition and fallibility throughout the show. From the fallible misinformation arrow playing off of our vulnerability to be manipulated by sensationalized targeted lies, to the improvised riffing of the doodles and tangles. These fallibilities are made more apparent via the inhuman precision of computers. The ever logging and never forgetting defaults, are left behind for basic, buggy web techniques of “touch free” human and sculpture interaction.

James Akers can be found on the web at:

https://www.jamesakers.net

Instagram: @jamesakers2

About Foci MCGA: Established in 2009, Foci MCGA proudly represents a vibrant arts community as Minnesota’s only public access studio and education center. Our 501(c)(3) non-profit organization is located in South Minneapolis and offers a full glass studio curriculum taught by artists locally and nationally recognized, as well as programming for youth, corporate group experiences, events, and exhibitions. Our goal is to be a safe space for all to feel welcome and engaged, creating experiences that motivate curiosity, build excitement, and advance mastery.

More information at www.mnglassart.org