Curator Stéphane Aquin on Krzysztof Wodiczko’s symbolism- Hirshhorn Museum
Description:
Chief curator Stéphane Aquin on the symbolism in Krzysztof Wodiczko’s iconic, large-scale outdoor projection “Hirshhorn Museum, Washington, DC,” 1988–2000. One of the most significant public artworks of the 1980s, the celebrated installation first debuted to DC audiences over three nights in October 1988. Commissioned by the Hirshhorn and created by Wodiczko specifically for its uniquely curved building, the projection debuted as part of the Museum’s “WORKS” program, which ran from 1987–1993 and featured a series of temporary, site-specific exhibitions by artists such as Sol LeWitt, Ann Hamilton, Matt Mullican, and Alfredo Jaar. The 68-foot projection spans the building’s three stories and features symbolic images that speak powerfully to socio-political issues of both the 1980s and present-day. While referring to such widespread debates as political rhetoric, reproductive rights, and the death penalty, “Hirshhorn Museum, Washington, DC,” 1988–2000 also alludes to the power of mass media to convey ideologies. Wodiczko was at the forefront of a new interest in public art, and his “Hirshhorn Museum, Washington, DC,” 1988–2000 reflected the increased political awareness in the art of the 1980s. Borrowing tactics from film and advertising, Wodiczko used recognizable imagery on a massive scale—body parts, figures, guns, and money—to elicit reactions in his viewers. In celebration of the opening of “Brand New: Art and Commodity in the 1980s,” the Hirshhorn Museum will present a three-night restaging of this projection.
