Dennis Oppenheim "Public Projects" Lecture and Book Launch
Storefront for Art and Architecture
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Storefront for Art and Architecture presents a lecture and launch celebrating Dennis Oppenheim’s book titled Public Projects, published by Charta Books, 2009.
Dennis Oppenheim has exhibited widely since the 1960’ s beginning with Land Art and Body Art. Machineworks and Fireworks Sculpture followed in the 1980’s and in the 90’s Oppenheim began large scale projects for public spaces. His lecture will concentrate on over fifty projects done during this period.
In speaking about the work produced for the public domain, the artist explains; “I’ve never been happy with the contortions I go through while reinventing myself. I’ve changed course many times over the years while producing so-called studio art. I’ve run through Land Art, Body Art and Installation Art to come to Public Art., which has many forces working against it. Within this atmospheric fusion of architecture and sculpture there are some new laws being written- however, I would need more clarity to know what they are.
In Public Projects a conversation between Vito Acconci, Aaron Betsky, Liam Gillick and Dennis Oppenheim explores these issues. In the essay Oppenheim: Opener Aaron Levy of the Slought Foundation in Philadelphia discusses the nature of public space.
As the book also functions as a catalogue for the recent exhibition “Electric Kisses” at the Marta Museum in Herford, Germany, essays by the museum’s director Roland Nachtigaller and curator Friedericke Fast are included, as are installation photos of the show. A German language edition of Public Projects is available in Europe. D.A.P. is distributing in the U.S.
Also this year, Dennis Oppenheim’s work has been the subject of solo exhibitions at Ace Gallery, Beverly Hills, Janot Gat, New York and through November, at the archeological site Scolacium Park, near Catanzaro, Italy.
His work will be included in group shows at the Nam June Paik Center in Seoul, “Blickachsen 7” in Bad Homburg, Germany, “Colossal’ curated by Jan Hoet in Osnabruck, Germany and “Earth 2009” at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Ontario, Canada.
Public projects completed in 2009 include “Journey Home” for Grand Rapids, “Garden of Evidence” for Scottsdale, Arizona, “Pathways to Everywhere” for Calgary, Canada, “Paintbrush Gateways” for Las Vegas and a work currently being installed in the historic district of Toronto, “Still Dancing.”
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Schedule
September 22, 2009 from 19:00