AT THE INTERSECTION OF ART AND SCIENCE
EXHIBITION EXPLORES THE ART AND ARTIFICE OF SCIENCE
Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe
FEBRUARY 9--MAY 20, 2007
Santa Fe, NM--The Art and Artifice of Science builds on two of New Mexico's long-standing strengths: its wealth of artistic talent and its scientific innovation. It gives a fresh perspective to the notion that New Mexico has a long history of being a nexus of art and science--as demonstrated by the art colonies in Taos and Santa Fe and the science communities at Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories.
The Art and Artifice of Science will explore the intersection of art and science by examining the work of contemporary artists, from New Mexico and beyond, who use the language, look and technologies of science in their work. The exhibition will have two subthemes: (Un)natural Histories and Mapping Bodies.
(Un)natural Histories will examine the work of contemporary artists who create a world inhabited by flora and fauna unlike any we have known before. They accomplish this by exploiting the familiarity of naturalist imagery or a museum of natural history model of display. Spanish photographer and master parodist Joan Fontcuberta, along with Pere Formiguera, created the series Fauna in order to bring to the public eye the bizarre animal discoveries of Dr. Ameisenhaufen, including the Improbitas buccata, a cross between an armadillo and an alligator. All the trappings of his scientific research are there, from stained photographs documenting the "fact" of this animal's existence to journal entries about the animal's behavior. Also in this subsection will be Alison Carey's diorama of Paleozoic ocean life and Harri Kallio's re-creation of the now extinct dodo bird. Much of the work in this section toys with the idea of photographic veracity, scientific objectivity, and a critical look at both. The design of this gallery will re-create the appearance of a museum of natural history in order to emphasize the artifice at play and to underscore how institutions have played a role in how knowledge is constructed.
Mapping Bodies will explore collaborations between artists and scientists (real and faux) to create visual imagery that takes us into the world of biotechnology. Contemporary society has increasingly looked within itself to unravel the inner workings and architecture of the human organism. Informed by her work as a medical photographer, Leigh Anne Langwell makes photograms that appear to be cellular images taken under a microscope. In response to the Human Genome Project, Gary Schneider collaborated with various scientists to create a "genetic self-portrait" using imaging techniques such as radiograms, microscopy, x-rays and a Fundus camera to examine what makes him unique, genetically. Christine Chin and Daniel Lee challenge us to consider how cloning and genetic engineering can change the world around us by introducing hybrid vegetables and humans, respectively. This gallery looks to the future, and will feel highly technological, re-creating the physical workspace and trappings of the laboratory.
Other artists whose work will be included in The Art and Artifice of Science include: Patrick Nagatani, Gail Wight, Justine Cooper, and a collaboration between Min Kim Park, Masumi Shibata and Mary Tsiongas.
For the opening on February 2, 2007, the Women's Board of the Museum of New Mexico will host a reception from 5:30 to 7:30 P.M.
A companion exhibition will be on view concurrently at 516 ARTS in Albuquerque, NM. 516 ARTS is located on Central Avenue between 5th and 6th Streets in the center of Downtown Albuquerque. This satellite show of The Art & Artifice of Science opens February 10, 2007, and closes March 24, 2007. For more information about 516 ARTS and this component of the exhibition call Laura Addison at 505-476-5118 or Suzanne Sbarge at 505-242-1445.
For images please contact Steve Cantrell at 505-476-1144 or steve.cantrell@state.nm.us.
###
The Museum of Fine Arts was founded in 1917 as the Art Gallery of the Museum of New Mexico. Housed in a spectacular Pueblo Revival building designed by I. H. and William M. Rapp, it was based on their New Mexico building at the Panama-California Exposition (1915). The museum's architecture inaugurated what has come to be known as "Santa Fe Style." For more than 85 years, the Museum has collected and exhibited work by leading artists from New Mexico and elsewhere. This tradition continues today with a wide array of exhibitions with work from the world's leading artists. The Museum of Fine Arts strives to bring the art of New Mexico to the world and the art of the world to New Mexico.
The Museum of Fine Arts is a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs.
Information for the Public
Location: Located on Santa Fe's Plaza at 107 West Palace Avenue.
Contact: 505-476-5072 or www.mfasantafe.org.
Days/Times: Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M. Open Free on Fridays, 5:00-8:00 P.M., with the exception of major exhibition openings.
Admission: School groups free. Children 16 and under free. New Mexico residents with ID free on Sundays. New Mexico resident Senior Citizens (age 60+) with ID free Wednesdays. Museum Foundation members free. Students with ID $1 discount. Single visit to one museum: $8.00 for non-state residents, $6.00 for New Mexico residents. Four-day pass to five museums including state-run museums in Santa Fe plus The Museum of Spanish Colonial Art $18.00. One-day pass for two museums (Museum of International Folk Art and Museum of Indian Arts and Culture OR Museum of Fine Arts and Palace of the Governors) $12.00. Group rate for ten or more people: single visit $6.00, four day pass $16.00.
Media Contacts:
Laura Addison, Curator of Contemporary Art
505-476-5118
laura.addison@state.nm.us
Steve Cantrell, PR Manager
505-476-1144
steve.cantrell@state.nm.us
EXHIBITION EXPLORES THE ART AND ARTIFICE OF SCIENCE
Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe
FEBRUARY 9--MAY 20, 2007
Santa Fe, NM--The Art and Artifice of Science builds on two of New Mexico's long-standing strengths: its wealth of artistic talent and its scientific innovation. It gives a fresh perspective to the notion that New Mexico has a long history of being a nexus of art and science--as demonstrated by the art colonies in Taos and Santa Fe and the science communities at Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories.
The Art and Artifice of Science will explore the intersection of art and science by examining the work of contemporary artists, from New Mexico and beyond, who use the language, look and technologies of science in their work. The exhibition will have two subthemes: (Un)natural Histories and Mapping Bodies.
(Un)natural Histories will examine the work of contemporary artists who create a world inhabited by flora and fauna unlike any we have known before. They accomplish this by exploiting the familiarity of naturalist imagery or a museum of natural history model of display. Spanish photographer and master parodist Joan Fontcuberta, along with Pere Formiguera, created the series Fauna in order to bring to the public eye the bizarre animal discoveries of Dr. Ameisenhaufen, including the Improbitas buccata, a cross between an armadillo and an alligator. All the trappings of his scientific research are there, from stained photographs documenting the "fact" of this animal's existence to journal entries about the animal's behavior. Also in this subsection will be Alison Carey's diorama of Paleozoic ocean life and Harri Kallio's re-creation of the now extinct dodo bird. Much of the work in this section toys with the idea of photographic veracity, scientific objectivity, and a critical look at both. The design of this gallery will re-create the appearance of a museum of natural history in order to emphasize the artifice at play and to underscore how institutions have played a role in how knowledge is constructed.
Mapping Bodies will explore collaborations between artists and scientists (real and faux) to create visual imagery that takes us into the world of biotechnology. Contemporary society has increasingly looked within itself to unravel the inner workings and architecture of the human organism. Informed by her work as a medical photographer, Leigh Anne Langwell makes photograms that appear to be cellular images taken under a microscope. In response to the Human Genome Project, Gary Schneider collaborated with various scientists to create a "genetic self-portrait" using imaging techniques such as radiograms, microscopy, x-rays and a Fundus camera to examine what makes him unique, genetically. Christine Chin and Daniel Lee challenge us to consider how cloning and genetic engineering can change the world around us by introducing hybrid vegetables and humans, respectively. This gallery looks to the future, and will feel highly technological, re-creating the physical workspace and trappings of the laboratory.
Other artists whose work will be included in The Art and Artifice of Science include: Patrick Nagatani, Gail Wight, Justine Cooper, and a collaboration between Min Kim Park, Masumi Shibata and Mary Tsiongas.
For the opening on February 2, 2007, the Women's Board of the Museum of New Mexico will host a reception from 5:30 to 7:30 P.M.
A companion exhibition will be on view concurrently at 516 ARTS in Albuquerque, NM. 516 ARTS is located on Central Avenue between 5th and 6th Streets in the center of Downtown Albuquerque. This satellite show of The Art & Artifice of Science opens February 10, 2007, and closes March 24, 2007. For more information about 516 ARTS and this component of the exhibition call Laura Addison at 505-476-5118 or Suzanne Sbarge at 505-242-1445.
For images please contact Steve Cantrell at 505-476-1144 or steve.cantrell@state.nm.us.
###
The Museum of Fine Arts was founded in 1917 as the Art Gallery of the Museum of New Mexico. Housed in a spectacular Pueblo Revival building designed by I. H. and William M. Rapp, it was based on their New Mexico building at the Panama-California Exposition (1915). The museum's architecture inaugurated what has come to be known as "Santa Fe Style." For more than 85 years, the Museum has collected and exhibited work by leading artists from New Mexico and elsewhere. This tradition continues today with a wide array of exhibitions with work from the world's leading artists. The Museum of Fine Arts strives to bring the art of New Mexico to the world and the art of the world to New Mexico.
The Museum of Fine Arts is a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs.
Information for the Public
Location: Located on Santa Fe's Plaza at 107 West Palace Avenue.
Contact: 505-476-5072 or www.mfasantafe.org.
Days/Times: Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M. Open Free on Fridays, 5:00-8:00 P.M., with the exception of major exhibition openings.
Admission: School groups free. Children 16 and under free. New Mexico residents with ID free on Sundays. New Mexico resident Senior Citizens (age 60+) with ID free Wednesdays. Museum Foundation members free. Students with ID $1 discount. Single visit to one museum: $8.00 for non-state residents, $6.00 for New Mexico residents. Four-day pass to five museums including state-run museums in Santa Fe plus The Museum of Spanish Colonial Art $18.00. One-day pass for two museums (Museum of International Folk Art and Museum of Indian Arts and Culture OR Museum of Fine Arts and Palace of the Governors) $12.00. Group rate for ten or more people: single visit $6.00, four day pass $16.00.
Media Contacts:
Laura Addison, Curator of Contemporary Art
505-476-5118
laura.addison@state.nm.us
Steve Cantrell, PR Manager
505-476-1144
steve.cantrell@state.nm.us