Last Thursday, SWERVED launched its second annual exhibit at the Zilkha Gallery. This marks the second annual showcase of the student-run online database and grants a valuable physical presence to what is usually an Internet-only affair. The website allows students of all artistic trades, from 2-D forms to film and writing, to show their work to the general public.

“[The site] provides a much needed space for students to share their creative work,” said group leader Garren Gotthardt ’13, “an opportunity that might not otherwise be available beyond the bounds of an in-class critique (as in a studio class) or at all if they create work outside of an academic setting.”

With performances by Brewster Lee ’13 and R.A.W. (Rap Assembly at Wesleyan), an assortment of video art by Neo Sora ’14, Matt Hixon ’15, Wyatt Hodgson ’14, Will Feinstein ’13, Ashlin Aronin ’13, and Adrian Nugent-Head ’15, as well as lots of free food, the opening was a dynamite introduction to this year’s batch of artwork. But even if you missed the grand opening, you should check out the exhibit. An eclectic and sometimes haunting mixture of photography, prints, paintings, and more experimental formats, it’s a humble but captivating showcase of the artistic talent we have on campus.

The first thing you’ll notice is that many pieces are left untitled, which leaves the creators’ efforts to speak for themselves. Works like senior Zoe Albert’s massaged oil paint ridges, sophomore Isaac Pollan’s stark print of a wheelbarrow and its shadow, and junior Emily Bernstein’s blurry-faced portraits have a striking simplicity that draws you into their artists’ play with form.

Other pieces are more formally and even narratively challenging. The most notable example of these is probably “emptiness is not a thing” by Sage Ryza ’15, a comicbook-esque series of collages, narrated by handwritten text, that recount a rape and its aftermath with alternately harrowing and absurdist tones. You’ll finish viewing it feeling very displaced; in context, it’s great to have a combination of works with immediate aesthetic pleasure standing shoulder to shoulder with pieces that require more time.

This diversity gives SWERVED its unique egalitarian spirit, and the site seems poised to expand and continue its role on campus.

“SWERVED in Zilkha represents just one off-the-web manifestation of SWERVED’s mission to bring student creativity to the forefront of daily conversation on campus,” said Gotthardt. “In addition to holding another exhibition in the spring, we will also host our second annual Alumni in the Arts Panel Discussion, for which we will bring both recent and established alumni working in a variety of artistic fields to share and discuss their post-Wesleyan experiences with current students.”