Default Mode Network | Nina Rivera

In partnership with artist and educator Ryan Stopera, the Graves Foundation launched the Creating Change Gallery in 2020 to support emerging Minneapolis artists through mentorship and exhibition opportunities. Each quarter, a teaching artist and an emerging artist fellow from Hennepin County collaborate on a show.

This quarter’s fellow, Nina Rivera, is supported by artist and educator Nell Pierce. Rivera’s practice combines humor and pathos to examine the intersections of identity, digital culture, and disorder. Raised during the rise of the internet and shaped by social media, they explore themes of isolation and social disengagement in the digital age.

Rooted in posthumanist theory, Rivera’s work questions traditional ideas of self, time, and agency in the face of AI, biotechnology, and environmental insecurity. Default Mode Network includes interactive installations, photography, sculpture, and video, inviting viewers to reflect on the psychological and existential impacts of technology and modern life.

The opening for Nina’s exhibition will be on Saturday, August 2nd from 4pm to 8pm. There will be a closing event on Friday, September 19th.

Gallery Hours: Sundays, 3–6pm