The internationally renowned TODT Artist’s Collective will be exhibited at the University of Dayton from Thursday, Sept. 27, through Oct. 25 at both ArtStreet Studio D and Gallery 249 at the College Park Center.
TODT, pronounced “tode,” is a collaborative effort between three anonymous artists. “Todt” means “death” in German, and the collection represents “a dark reality,” according to an article by James K. Kettlewell entitled “TODT: An Artist Collaborative.”
The pieces featured in the exhibit will consist of large pieces of farm machinery transformed to look like weaponry, according to Brian LaDuca, director of ArtStreet.
“There is a thrill and risk involved in these pieces,” LaDuca said.
The exhibits will include both two dimensional and sculptural pieces that depict a futuristic world controlled by science and government, according to UD’s visual arts department.
The core piece of this exhibit is called “The Reaper,” according to LaDuca. He said that he thinks that students would be interested in this piece especially because it is extremely large and crafted out of farm machinery.
Other pieces are made out of basic metal and cast iron machinery, according to LaDuca. He said there is some concern with the pieces because they are sharp and have come together to form actual weaponry.
The exhibit is in the process of being set up at both locations.
“Even in parts, it is very compelling,” LaDuca said. He also said that the pieces are enormous.
Once it is set up, the exhibit will open with an artist’s talk on Sept. 27. Though the artists have chosen to remain anonymous to the public, they will be here in person to speak and will not conceal their names at the artist’s talk.
“This will give people who have followed their work a chance to meet them,” LaDuca said.
The artists’ anonymity was conceived not to conceal their identities; it is just their choice to stay out of the public eye,
according to LaDuca.
The artists of TODT are two brothers and a sister, but the oldest brother is recently deceased, according to LaDuca.
He said that he thinks that the recent death of one of the artists will only add to the emotional issues of the collection.
This will not be TODT’s first trip to Dayton. The Artists Collective formed in the 1980s and toured all over the country and the world, stopping in Dayton a few times in the 1990s, according to their own website.
According to LaDuca, there was a renewed interest by individuals in the visual arts department to bring them back.
There will be different pieces displayed at each exhibit, but there is not a specific theme to either, according to LaDuca. He said that there will be no duplicates at the respective location.
“One does not have to be into art to be excited by the work of TODT,” Kettlewell said in his article.
“It’s very interesting,” LaDuca said. “There’s a sense of mystery to it.”
To learn more about TODT or their exhibit at UD, visit todt.us or contact ArtStreet at 937-229-5101.
