For many residents, the city of Madison is a waystation. A college town. A pleasurable stop to learn or live for several years on their way to other things and places. With this in mind, Postmadison was born, an exhibit at the Arts + Literature Laboratory (ALL) until April 6, featuring four artists who once called Madison home.

“What’s interesting is how Madison becomes this kind of nexus for relationships with other artists; it’s where a lot of people find out how they want to make art,” says Chris Walla, who received a master’s in fine art from UW-Madison in 2003 and is currently a tenured professor of sculpture at Minnesota State University Moorehead.

Walla’s contribution to Postmadison includes several ceiling-mounted sculptures that present a narrative of a failing relationship through both form and language. The body of each piece is a larger-than life text bubble from which a single word hangs by ball chain: “Try,” “Eclipsed,” “Gone.” Strange sinewy beauty and sadness blend together seamlessly, producing a moving elegy for a modern relationship.