Curatorial Digest #001
I always thought it would be neat to curate my own art exhibits with no limit to what I can get my hands on… so here it goes.
If you have any thoughts, please utilize the comments section at the bottom of the page.
Existence/Timing
Adrian Piper: What Will Become of Me? | 1985—
What you see: These are jars filled with Adrian Piper’s hair, finger, and toenails. It is on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and will remain a part of its permanent collection after she has died.
Piper insists on making sure that Black women have a place in the museum. Some people donate their bodies to science, others… and I mean Adrian Piper, donate their bodies to see an idea through to its core.
Tehching Hsieh | One Year Performance 1980-1981
For one year, every hour, on the hour of each day, Tehching Hsieh punched a time clock in his studio and took a photo. Pictured above is every photo, from every hour, of every day, for a whole year.
Imagine that. There are 8,760 hours in one year. If you ever want to feel the length of time, you could attempt a time piece such as this.
Walter De Maria | The Lightning Field | 1977
Somewhere in Catron County, New Mexico lies a grid of 400 polished, stainless steel rods reaching up towards the sky waiting to be struck by the forces of Mother Nature.
What I love about this piece is that it’s always there. There may be lightning striking the poles and some may see it, but most likely there are no witnesses. There are many assertions to be made about the resonance of this work and its existence in time. This artwork is a reminder to us that these lands, these phenomenons, have been here far before the human race and our acknowledgment of time and they will exist far after we are gone.
The importance, or lack thereof, of Timing
I wonder what the passage of time felt like to Hseih during his one-year performance. What did his existence feel like each hour of every day? One’s own existence must change when an hour dictates every aspect of your life.
After Adrian Piper’s death, her existence will be physically summed up as a handful of jars of her hair, nails, and ashes. How will her existence be viewed after she is gone?
Visitors must travel to a remote destination to immerse themselves in The Lightning Field, thereby subjecting themselves to experiencing the passage of time on a foreign level. Does time matter if you are waiting to see the spectacle of a lightning strike? Does it matter to nature?
I would love to hear what you think. Share how these works make you feel, or how they don’t. What interests you? What do you want to learn more about? There are no wrong ways to participate. Let’s start a conversation!