Josiah McElheny
dal 5/9/2011 al 24/7/2012
Segnalato da
5/9/2011
Josiah McElheny
Whitechapel, London
The sculptor and writer transforms the Gallery 2 for The Bloomberg Commission. Seven large-scale, mirrored sculptures are arranged as multiple reflective screens for displaying abstract films, selected by a group of invited collaborators and programmed to change throughout the year. Refracted, distorted and multiplied, the moving images explore how abstraction is used to depict an image of visual enlightenment.
curated by Daniel F. Herrmann
New York-based artist Josiah McElheny is a sculptor, performance artist, writer
and filmmaker, best known for his use of glass with other materials. For his
Bloomberg Commission he uses light and mirrors to transform the Whitechapel
Gallery into a hall of mirrors.
Josiah McElheny is the latest artist invited to create a new work of art for The
Bloomberg Commission sited in the former Whitechapel library (now part of
the Gallery), built in 1892 as a ‘lantern for learning’.
Seven large-scale, mirrored sculptures will be arranged as multiple reflective
screens for the artist’s interpretation of groundbreaking experimental abstract
films, programmed to change throughout the year. The sculptures will reflect
and refract the projected film selection, saturating the whole gallery and
visitors in images and light. Refracted, distorted and multiplied, the moving
images explore how abstraction is used to depict an image of visual
enlightenment.
The Bloomberg Commission: Josiah McElheny is displayed in Gallery 2, a
dedicated space for site-specific works of art that was previously the reading
room of the former Whitechapel Library. Inspired by the history of the Library as
a creative haven for early modernist thinkers such as Isaac Rosenberg and Mark
Gertler, McElheny’s new work explores the history of abstraction in film and
video, reinterpreting them by presenting fractured, constantly morphing
versions.
Drawing on the history of the former library as a centre for social reform and
modernist ideals in Britain, this major installation is accompanied by a series of
film presentations, lectures and events exploring the notion of abstraction in
the moving image.
Josiah McElheny (b. 1966) lives and works in New York. His work combines a
conceptually rigorous examination of history with an ability to create deeply
engaging sensory experiences.
The Bloomberg Commission invites an international artist to create an annual
site-specific artwork inspired by the rich history of the former library. Previous
commissions were created by artists Goshka Macuga (2009) and Claire Barclay
(2010). Bloomberg’s support reflects its commitment to innovation, and its
ongoing efforts to expand access to art, science and the humanities.
The Bloomberg Commission: Josiah McElheny is curated by Daniel F. Herrmann, Curator, Whitechapel Gallery.
The Commision will be accompanied by a fully illustrated publication.
Images: The Bloomberg Commission: Josiah McElheny: The Past Was A Mirage I Had Left Far Behind. Photographs by Todd-White Art Photography
For further press information or images please contact:
Rachel Mapplebeck on 020 7522 7880; 07811 456 806 or Email RachelMapplebeck@whitechapelgallery.org
Elizabeth Flanagan on 020 7522 7871 or email ElizabethFlanagan@whitechapelgallery.org
Whitechapel Gallery, 77 – 82 Whitechapel High Street, London E1 7QX.
Opening times: Tuesday – Sunday, 11am – 6pm, Thursdays, 11am – 9pm.
Nearest London Underground Station: Aldgate East, Liverpool Street, Tower Gateway DLR.
Admission free