Cooper Holoweski: BOGO Mysticism at Columbus State University
Stamps alum Cooper Holoweski (BFA ’04) presents BOGO Mysticism, a solo exhibition on view March 10 to April 18, 2026, at Illges Gallery, Corn Center for the Visual Arts, Columbus State University.
Working in printmaking, textiles, and sculpture, Holoweski explores the intersection of spirituality and consumer culture. In BOGO Mysticism, he examines how meaning, belief, and transcendence persist in systems built on acquisition and exchange, turning even the search for connection into a commodity.
“In a culture saturated with commodities, the search for spiritual connection has not diminished but has instead been repackaged, marketed, and redistributed.”
Drawing from retail packaging, displays, and advertising, Holoweski pairs these forms with references to mysticism, sacred geometry, and metaphysical diagrams. The work holds tension between the sacred and commercial, prompting viewers to consider spiritual longing in contemporary culture.
At the exhibit’s center is Spiritual Crisis Starter Pack, a series of large fabric prints evoking both human scale and devotional objects. Unframed and immersive, these works juxtapose consumer goods with crystals and chakras, inviting contemplative, embodied experience.
Other works extend these themes. Body as Conduit offers double-sided risograph prints tracing a journey from material life to spiritual awareness. Late Stage, New Age transforms everyday objects into reflective tools through sculpture and print. Infinity Receipt, a never-ending scroll of transactional data, humorously captures the cycle of desire and consumption while probing existential questions.
Rather than offer a conclusion, BOGO Mysticism invites reflection. Holoweski encourages viewers to reconsider their relationship with objects, beliefs, and the enduring human desire for meaning, especially as found in everyday life — reminding us that significance often emerges from the familiar.
The exhibition is free and open to the public.
Exhibition Details
BOGO Mysticism
March 10 – April 18, 2026
Reception
March 10, 2026, from 5 – 7:30 PM
Location
Illges Gallery: Corn Center for the Visual Arts
Columbus State University: 921 Front Avenue, Columbus, GA