Jennifer Packer’s exhibition Dead Letter unfolds as both a collection of works and an act of communication across loss. Packer’s partner, the poet April Freely, passed away four years ago, and the current show, created in the wake of this loss, gathers paintings that move between presence and disappearance, between figuration and abstraction.

In the sprawling expanse of the Montserrat Gallery in Beverly, MA, Earthen Clay’s work has taken up residence. The wall pieces orient me to the sculptures and back again; the work creates a spiral space for the viewer to move through.

Gordon Hall’s show Hands and Knees at The Kitchen consists of a series of floor-based sculptures made from pairs of chrome cantilever chairs, a design popularized by Marcel Breuer. Each piece has a twin seated at an equal distance from their partners.