Mark Mercury’s retrograde in February at Lafayette College

Easton’s Lafayette College is counting down to a risky moment, astrologically-speaking, with its free “Mercury Retrograde: Animated Realities” exhibition, opening January 28th at its Williams Center Gallery. Mercury’s retrograde, which happens a couple times every year, is actually an optical illusion that makes it look as if the planet moves backward in its orbit when viewed from Earth. Astrologists will warn you that it’s a time when things are bound to go wrong, but it’s also a time to reevaluate and correct your life’s path. “Mercury Retrograde” artists will use animated montage and collage to point out the passions and problems of 21st-century consumerism, spectacle, politics, and globalization. To coincide with Mercury’s retrograde on February 6, exhibit curators William Heath and Zeljka Himbele will offer a 4:10pm talk and reception.

Lafayette College’s “Mercury Retrograde: Animated Realities” in the Williams Center Gallery, on Lafayette’s campus at 317 Hamilton Street, is running January 28 to March 1. The show is free and open to the public. For more information, call 610-330-5361 or visit Lafayette College online.

Image: a frame from participating animator Brian Alfred.