In her exhibition “Preparatory Objects,” Ulrike Heydenreich employed the tools and practices of physical science in an attempt to untangle the chaos of sensory phenomena and understand the human subject’s drive to explore new frontiers. Heydenreich’s portable drawing devices, diagrams of future inventions, and images inspired by navigational equipment are at once art objects with metaphorical significances and utilitarian tools designed to prepare the artist for expeditions into unknown territory.

The two drawing devices at the center of the show are elaborately extended drawing boards designed