The coastal aesthetic is shifting–like the barrier islands it is modeled after–from that of a reflection of the outdoors to merely a memory. The body, anonymous and in a state of stillness (whether by leisure or illness–reasons are unclear) is a reminder of our impermanence on this planet, and, oddly, it feels comforting.

Come Rain or Shine, by Ceirra Evans at Institute 193, runs in circles—like a dog chasing its tail—around the stereotypes of Appalachian life and is set against the tumultuous backdrop of social, political, and climate catastrophe. Yet, it holds fast to the urgency of friendship, frugality, and solidarity in the face of global meltdown.