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Relaunch of MATRIX Program at Wadsworth Atheneum
HARTFORD, Conn., December 21, 2009 – The Wadsworth Atheneum’s MATRIX contemporary art program returns in February with an exciting roster of emerging artists from around the world. Selected by the Wadsworth’s new curator of contemporary art, Patricia Hickson, artists Kitty Kraus, Justin Lowe, and Kim Schoenstadt will present solo exhibitions in the museum’s dedicated MATRIX gallery in 2010. The MATRIX series re-launch kicks off with an installation of mirrored lightboxes—which will emit dizzying beams of light to transform the gallery space—created by German sculptor Kitty Kraus, opening on February 4, 2010. Later in the year, Justin Lowe (June 2010) and Kim Schoenstadt (October 2010) will create site-specific installations at the Wadsworth that will engage with the museum’s 170-year history and its relationship with the local community.
The Wadsworth was the first to embrace the idea of contemporary art in an “encyclopedic” museum through its MATRIX program, which began in 1975 as a series of single-artist exhibitions that have showcased more than 150 artists, providing many with their first solo museum exhibition in the United States—including Adrian Piper, Louise Lawler, Janine Antoni, and Dawoud Bey. Many MATRIX artists, such as Sol LeWitt, Willem de Kooning, Christo, Andy Warhol, Cindy Sherman and Gerhard Richter, are now considered seminal figures in contemporary art.
The museum’s Director, Susan L. Talbott, explains that, “The MATRIX program enables us to exhibit art of the moment, which ensures that the museum’s encyclopedic collection stays relevant into the future. It also allows us to be nimble and react to the quickly changing contemporary landscape.”
Patricia Hickson, the newly appointed Emily Hall Tremaine Curator of Contemporary Art, says, “Kitty Kraus, Justin Lowe, and Kim Schoenstadt are three remarkable young artists whose work is distinctive and new, yet still strongly influenced by the history of art. They will build on the tradition of MATRIX artists who have been inspired by the Wadsworth’s long history of engaging with contemporary artists, dating back to the museum’s inception in the 1840s.”
Hickson joined the Wadsworth from the Des Moines Art Center, where she was the institution’s curator and program manager for the Des Moines Art Center Downtown. Hickson has previously held curatorial positions at the Williams College Museum of Art, the San Jose Museum of Art, and the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston.
About the Artists:
Kitty Kraus – MATRIX 158, February 4 – May 2, 2010
Berlin artist Kitty Kraus creates sculptural installations that allude to Minimalism and Arte Povera in their geometric precision and use of commonplace materials. Her work often incorporates artificial light, which she uses symbolically to conjure the themes of loss and death. Kraus recently had solo exhibitions at the Kunsthalle Zurich and the Kunstverein Heilbronn. In 2009, she was featured in the group exhibition The Generational: Younger Than Jesus at the New Museum of Contemporary Art and can currently be seen in the Intervals contemporary art project space at the Guggenheim Museum in New York.
Justin Lowe, MATRIX 159, June 3 – September 5, 2010
Austin, Texas-based artist Justin Lowe creates completely immersive, theatrical installations that are inspired by various sources including film, literature and pop culture. Many of his installations address political and social issues such as capitalism, drug use and abuse, and homelessness. Lowe has been creating and exhibiting his multi-room installations since 2000, with recent collaborative projects presented at Ballroom Marfa in Texas and Deitch Projects in New York.
Kim Schoenstadt, MATRIX 160, October 7, 2010 – January 9, 2011
Based in Los Angeles, Kim Schoenstadt develops site-specific, cooperative projects that combine a conceptual framework with painting, drawing and architecture. She is best known for her large-scale wall drawings, which are inspired by conversations with community members and research about the particular place. Schoenstadt’s wall-drawing projects have been featured at the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven, The Netherlands; the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago; and Los Angeles International Airport, among others.
MATRIX is made possible in part through the generous support of the Contemporary Coalition of the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art.
About the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art:
The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art is located at 600 Main St. in Hartford, Connecticut. The Museum is open Wednesdays to Fridays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, please visit www.wadsworthatheneum.org.
Contact:
Kimberly Reynolds
Director, PR & Marketing
860-838-4055
Kimberly.reynolds@wadsworthatheneum.org
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