Krzysztof Wodiczko on symbolism at the Hirshhorn Museum
Description:
Coinciding with “Brand New: Art and Commodity in the 1980s,” the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden will present a restaging of “Hirshhorn Museum, Washington, DC, 1988–2000,” the iconic, large-scale outdoor projection by acclaimed artist Krzysztof Wodiczko (b. Warsaw, Poland, 1943). 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.
