APPLIQUER/COMPOSER is the title of the exhibit opening at FLATFILEcontemporary The show’s title comes from French verbs with a variety of meanings. Appliquer can mean “to apply” or “to take pains over something”, and Composer, which translates as “to compose”, “to set”, or “to come to terms with”. The show, which is composed of paintings, drawings and other works on paper, sculpture, and installation pieces, will run through February 14.

APPLIQUER/COMPOSER features the work of nine of the gallery’s powerhouse emerging artists. Michael Jefferson, Anders Nilsen, Mary Jane Duffy, Liz Nielsen, and Frank Zirbel from Chicago, Holger Schmidt from Santa Fe, Paul Moschell from Indianapolis, Kent Latimer from Philadelphia, and Corine Bluel from Paris, France, will strut their stuff in this eclectic showing of work from the gallery’s brightest young things.

In the project room, used in this case as a sub-gallery, the drawings of Rockford’s Jeff Linden will hang with drawings by MIchael Hopkins. Linden, who is from Rockford is one of the gallery’s original artists, and Hopkins is a recent addition. Hopkins has been making waves of late; a glowingly reviewed show at Northwestern, a Pollack/Krasner Grant for $15,000, and an acquisition by the Block Museum.