Emily Rhoda hangs her grassy tribute to her father “Sunday Lawn” in the 4 Pillars Gallery.

NEW ULM — Five new art installations are going up at the Grand Center for Arts and Culture this week.

The installations are part of the “Aftermath” exhibit and will feature the artwork of Minnesota State University Mankato students Nelly Jasinski, Carli Langeland, Ben Liebl, Emily Rhoda and Eli Schimming, at the 4 Pillars Gallery.

MSU professor Liz Miller said the five students are enrolled in installation art courses, and the purpose of the exhibit is for the students to create art that engages with a specific space and location.

These installations are all location-based. Miller said the challenge installation is getting the students to think of how viewers will interact with the work. She said installations are unlike paintings. The engagement is different because, with installations, the experience is often three-dimensional, allowing viewers to see it from different angles.

The title “Aftermath” was chosen because all five installation pieces reference the aftermath of an event.

The students are still in the process of setting up the exhibit. Rhoda and Liebl were the first to begin on Monday.

Rhoda’s installation is called “Sunday Lawn” and replicates the look of a mowed lawn using yarn in a three-dimensional space. Rhoda said the installation was an ode to her father.

“Like every other dad I know, he likes mowing grass,” she said.

Using a fishing line, she hung several strands of green yarn to represent uncut grass. A pile of green yarn on the floor is the cut and mulched grass.

Rhoda said determining the location for the installation was the greatest challenge.

Liebl’s installation piece is called “Dismantled” and uses old and repurposed wood to show the connection between trees and wood products. With twine, he hangs old wooden doors, drawers and scrap wood from the walls and ceiling of the gallery space.

“I am breaking down and dismantling what makes up a tree from the perspective of what we use trees for,” he said.

Liebl uses a lot of found material in his art. He said the material he has chooses the project.

“I am interested in our relationship to the natural world,” he said. The “Dismantled” installation will likely incorporate soil and plants too.

The exhibit opens to the public on Saturday, April 10, and will run through Friday, May 7.

The gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. All COVID precautions are followed.

The virtual opening is on Facebook Live at 5 p.m. on Friday, April 9. The artwork will also be displayed in the virtual gallery beginning Saturday, April 10, at www.thegrandnewulm.com.

For more information, call The Grand at 507-359-9222 or send an email to grand@thegrandnewulm.com.