Hey! It’s … not Boaz here. I’m Emma Honcharski, NEXT’s engagement manager. Boaz is off this week, and I’m filling in with a rather unconventional guest.Location: The Monterey building at the Mattress Factory museum on the North SideFeatured guest: Ratlet T. Pesquinche (created by artist Isla Hansen)3 things that surprised me: Artist Isla Hansen was selected to have an exhibition through the Mattress Factory’s annual Regional Open Call. She developed the idea for “How to Get to Make Believe” after she was accepted for the opportunity, which she views as an artist-forward way of approaching exhibitions. Ratlet’s iconic gravelly voice was inspired by “The Simpsons” characters Selma and Patty Bouvier (Marge Simpson’s sisters). Ratlet’s head is partially inspired by the shape of Hansen’s dogs’ heads.  Ratlet is meant to be a vessel for interviewing people on her talk show, “Ratlet’s Tomorrow Today.” Hansen describes Ratlet as a chattier version of herself, but because Ratlet is more often interviewing than being interviewed, she doesn’t have an extensive backstory. One thing that didn’t make the cut: Ratlet and Emma discussing the pros and cons of having constant access to a cellphone.Isla Hansen is a Pittsburgh-based artist making objects, tools, toys, sculptures, performances, systems, interactive installations, animations, workshops and videos that address the ways in which bodies connect to technologies in the world around us. She currently teaches sculpture in the School of Art at Carnegie Mellon University.How to Get to Make Believe is on view at Mattress Factory until March 30, 2025.The post Yinzer Backstage Pass meets a talking rat at the Mattress Factory appeared first on NEXTpittsburgh.