Fernanda Aguero

Inflatable mattresses, water from the Milwaukee River, and sand from the Pacific Ocean are just some of the materials that visual artists innovatively integrated into the artwork of Columbia’s newest exhibit. A year after Columbia postponed the First Year MFA show, second-year Master’s of Fine Arts students returned to display their pieces in their long-awaited Columbia debut. Despite facing cutbacks on studio space and collaborative group work, artists have come together for a final showing of their work.

After a cancelled 2020 festival, the Low Steps were replaced by the virtual world of Virbela for this year’s Bacchanal. Students chatted with each other over Zoom or wandered around as Virbela online personas. Attendees were welcomed by flashing DJ lights and 1920s-themed decor at the coveted Columbia event.

The seemingly opposite worlds of art and computer science collide as bright LEDs, microcontrollers, and other art structures culminate in a final creative project. In movements guided by creative expression, artists and scientists alike build moving kinetic sculptures in a bridge of technical and nontechnical languages. Through a mixture of lab and lecture, students explore how embedded systems can be reimagined into a new creative route in computation.

Mats and blankets are placed on the floor to serve as beds while kids ask when their parents will pick them up. Flashing images inside the 24-hour daycare fill the screen as viewers watch employees interact with the kids throughout the night.

With Black History Month in full swing, many galleries showcasing Black art and culture are just steps away from Columbia’s campus. Harlem galleries that have reopened for in-person visitors are featuring pieces that tell stories often underrepresented in the art world. Many of the galleries that remain closed have expanded their online presence or transitioned to outdoor art exhibits and installations.

At first glance, the Instagram page that Kidus Zelalem, CC ’24, created for the New Proletariat reveals a sleek, polished aesthetic, with smooth lines and aluminum detailing. Today, Zelalem assembles pieces for his upcoming architecturally-inspired set of workwear designed with Adobe Illustrator, but his sophisticated expression first started as a simple love for disassembling pens and a middle-school fascination with PowerPoint.

New York’s streets are a walking lookbook of diverse brands and clothing pieces, which symbolize the ever-changing nature of the fashion industry. Columbia, located in one of the world’s most fashion-forward cities, gives students the first look at the styles that will soon be worn around the globe.