THE REACH OF REALISM
December 1, 2009 – February 14, 2010
Knight Exhibition Series
770 NE 125th Street
North Miami, FL 33161
305.893.6211
THE REACH OF REALISM
MOCA Knight Exhibition Series
PARTICIPATING ARTISTS: Uta Barth, Olaf Breuning, Tom Burr, Talia Chetrit, Anetta Mona Chisa & Lucia Tkacova, Phil Collins, Thomas Demand, Alex Hubbard, Matt Keegan, Ragnar Kjartansson, Elad Lassry, Lars Laumann, Adam McEwen, Wilhelm Sasnal, Xaviera Simmons, Martin Soto Climent, Wolfgang Tillmans, Sara VanDerBeek, Emily Wardill, Gillian Wearing, Judi Werthein, and Artur Zmijewski.
The Reach of Realism brings together an international group of artists exploring the artistic traditions of Realism in an age of digital manipulation and staged reality. The artists in the exhibition use various strategies to address the increasing fusion between daily life and popular media. From 19th century painters who depicted everyday life during the industrial revolution, to the 1980s “pictures generation” of artists who criticized the media’s growing influence on society, artists have used realism as a political strategy. Today, it is widely understood that while images are effective means of communicating ideas, they have lost their impact in communicating truths because of increased manipulation and outright fabrication. The exhibition’s artists convey the desire for authenticity in images while distrusting the ability of images to communicate an objective reality. By choosing to obstruct straightforward depictions and instead reveal poetic truths, these artists question whether the images they produce and the realities they portray can be meaningful. In creating semblances of reality, they are more interested in the inclusion of a detail or moment in a work that contains the potential for realism and not realism itself.
The artists in The Reach of Realism question the status of realism in artwork today. They choose particular images and narratives to work with and grapple with the challenges and implications of circulating them within artwork.
The Reach of Realism is organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami and is curated by MOCA Associate Curator Ruba Katrib. The exhibition is part of the Museum of Contemporary Art’s Knight Exhibition Series.
The exhibition is made possible with support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and Starbucks Coffee Company. Additional support provided by Office for Contemporary Art Norway and MOCA Mystery Dates fundraiser.
The Reach of Realism Opening Reception
MOCA / VANITY FAIR INTERNATIONAL Party
Tuesday, December 1, 7 – 9 pm
Information and RSVP: 305.893.6211
Hours during Art Basel Miami Beach
Wednesday, 9 am – 9 pm, Thursday – Monday 9 am – 5 pm
MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART, North Miami
Located in Downtown North Miami, the Museum of Contemporary Art is internationally recognized as a force in defining new trends and directions in contemporary art. The museum originates most of its own exhibitions, presenting an exciting mix of both emerging and legendary artists. Visitors from around the world are drawn to its permanent collection reflecting the most important developments in contemporary art.
MOCA presents a continuous calendar of lectures by renowned artists and critics, film screenings, concerts, and cutting edge performances and has attracted nationwide attention for highly original education and outreach programs that make contemporary art accessible, understandable, and enjoyable to a wide audience.
Exhibitions and programs at MOCA are made possible through grants from the City of North Miami, the Florida Arts Council, the Department of State, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, Cultural Affairs council, the Mayor and Miami-Dade County Commissioners. The Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami is accredited by the American Association of Museums.