In parts of Europe and the United States during the 1800s, a custom was practiced where used or worn objects were concealed within the fabric of architecture to promote good fortune. Items such as footwear and handwritten notes from a building’s residents and surrounding community were placed in special cavities during a time of construction or alteration.

Drawing on the history of this practice, Concealed Footwear and Associated Deposits asked visitors who came to Magical Thinking at Root Division to bring an object to the gallery, or write a note while there, and embed it with well-wishes for the future of Root Division and/or the surrounding arts community. The object or note was tagged and enclosed within a ceramic and concrete brick (along with other participant’s deposits) and displayed within the gallery during the exhibition. All bricks will later be installed in a wall within Root Division’s more permanent home, post pop-up location, so the well-wishes may be present for staff and programming.

Magical Thinking - Root Division
Root Division's "Magical Thinking" Showcases New Works by Ceramics Faculty Nathan Lynch and Kari Marboe - California College of the Arts