Walls Turned Sideways: Artists Confront the Justice System

The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (CAMH) announces its upcoming exhibition Walls Turned Sideways: Artists Confront the Justice System, the largest and most comprehensive museum presentation to investigate the criminal justice system in the United States. Presented through the eyes of more than 30 artists, with works spanning the past 40 years, Walls Turned Sideways is organized by Guest Curator Risa Puleo. CAMH will host an opening reception on the evening of Friday, August 24 from 6:30–9pm, with the exhibition remaining on view through Sunday, January 6, 2019.

Walls Turned Sideways features work by artists from across the nation that addresses the criminal justice system, mass incarceration, and the prison-industrial complex. Representing a range of contemporary art production made both in the studio and the social realm, the exhibition includes artworks that take social justice issues as a subject matter; and position the prison and court systems as structures for dismantling through institutional critique. The artworks in the exhibition are extraordinary for the scale and ambition by which they mobilize in order to bring visibility to offenses within the justice system.

The title of the exhibition Walls Turned Sideways comes from a quote by political activist, academic, and author, Angela Davis: “Walls turned sideways are bridges.” The exhibition hopes to serve as a bridge or connecting conduit for conversation, contemplation, and change.

Exhibition Artists
Andrea Robbins and Max Becher / Josh Begley / Zach Blas / Chandra McCormick and Keith Calhoun / Luis Camnitzer / Jamal Cyrus / James Drake / The Estate of Chris Burden / The Estate of Martin Wong / Tirtza Even / Andrea Fraser / Maria Gaspar / Danny Giles / Sam Gould / Michelle Handelman / Coco Fusco and Paula Heredia / Improvers / Suzanne Lacy with Julio Morales and Unique Holland / Alexa Hoyer / Ashley Hunt / Richard Kamler / Titus Kaphar / Kapwani Kiwanga / Autumn Knight / Deana Lawson / Shaun Leonardo / Glenn Ligon / Sarah Ross and Damon Locks / Lucky Pierre / Mark Menjivar / Trevor Paglen / Anthony Papa / Mary Patten / Jenny Polak / Carl Pope / Lauri Jo Reynolds / Sherrill Roland / Gregory Sale / Dread Scott / Sable Elyse Smith / Rodrigo Valenzuela

Publication
CAMH will produce a significant catalogue to accompany Walls Turned Sideways: Artists Confront the Justice System. The catalogue is being published by the Miami-based non-profit [NAME] Publications. Publication design is being completed by Stacy Asher and Aaron Sutherlen. The publication includes a forward by CAMH Director Bill Arning. 

Exhibition Support
Walls Turned Sideways: Artists Confront the Justice System is made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The catalogue accompanying this exhibition is made possible by a grant from The Brown Foundation, Inc. of Houston and a grant from the Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation.