Chicago art work combines jelly, wrestling

CHICAGO, April 26 (UPI) -- Artist Tara Strickstein says her new Art Chicago exhibit entitled "Jelly Roll: The Spectacle" combines wrestling with jelly products.

The 31-year-old artist said her installation at Chicago's Artopolis event, which runs May 1-4 at the Merchandise Mart, will include an interactive display of jelly wrestling and a sweet shop counter, the Chicago Sun-Times said Sunday.

Strickstein's unique exhibit combines her learning experiences at the School of the Art Institute, the University of Chicago and the French Pastry School.

"I was trying to figure out a more reliable way to make money," Strickstein said. "Ever since, I've been trying to combine art and food into a mutual sensory experience."

For Strickstein, the freewheeling concept of having friends, artists and roller derby players attempt to convince bystanders to wrestle is her exhibit's main allure.

"One of my favorite things about this piece is the aspect of the unknown," she told the Sun-Times. "There is nothing sure about it, and I'm perfectly happy leaving it that way."