Minneapolis artist creates space for creatively mourning his sister's death

Grief isn't a linear process, and neither is artmaking. For this exhibition roughly timed to coincide with Dia de los Muertos, Minneapolis artist Ryan Stopera went through the photo and film archives of his sister Jessica, who died 14 years ago from a heroin overdose, reprinting many of her images and restaging five of them in his own way. A large-format blue-tinted photo of Jessica (shown at left) with a television on her head, sitting at a table and smoking a cigarette, is paired with his restaging of it with a friend, local filmmaker Xiaolu Wang. There are more than 50 images in the exhibition, plus two films. The show is divided into themes such as self-portraits, abandoned spaces, boob-tube heads, and images awash in red. Through this restaging, Stopera creates creative space for healing, tells the story of his sister's passing and creates a dialogue about grief, addiction and death. (Open 4-8 p.m. Wed.-Fri., noon-4 p.m. Sat. through Nov. 14. Modus Locus Gallery, 3500 Bloomington Av. S., Mpls. Free. 612-382-9477 or moduslocusmpls.com)

Alicia Eler