Green Acres: Artists Farming Fields, Greenhouses and Abandoned Lots
September 22, 2012–January 20, 2013
Opening Celebration: September 21, 2012
Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati
Lois & Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art
44 East 6th Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
T 513 345 8400
www.contemporaryartscenter.org
Guest curated by Sue Spaid and opening September 22, 2012, Green Acres: Artists Farming Fields, Greenhouses and Abandoned Lots addresses farming as both activism and art form. Featuring a real working farm within the gallery, a farm stand in the museum lobby, sculptures used for farming, videos and other installations, as well as multiple satellite projects in the community, Green Acres presents farming as art through a wide variety of approaches. Raphaela Platow, the CAC’s Alice & Harris Weston Director and Chief Curator explains, “Green Acres builds on eco-conscious exhibitions the Contemporary Arts Center has spearheaded in the past, including The American Lawn: Surface of Everyday Life, Ecovention and Beyond Green, and puts into context the nearly 40 year phenomena of farming as art. Yet it highlights the fact that the field has experienced a recent surge, evidenced by the vast amount of works in Green Acres that have been completed in the past five years.” Green Acres is on view through January 20, 2013.
The show is presented in five sections:
Farming Awareness explores how artists have alerted food consumers to the significance of food production.
Innovative Farming Strategies surveys artistic practices that have contributed to the development of inventive farming techniques.
Community Farming/Farming Communities juxtaposes “community farming”—farms organized by artists for constituents—with “farming communities”—farms implemented by artist-farmers with the public.
Biodiversity presents a cause important to the artist-farmer as artists have consistently considered their efforts in stark contrast to the industrial type of monoculture-farming.
Farming Mysticism shows artists offering blessings, rituals and other esoteric approaches that highlight emotional connections between people and the earth, as well as the historical pairing of spiritualism and farming.
Green Acres curator Sue Spaid notes “Though the exhibition is presented in sections, “community” and “freedom” are themes running throughout the show. The impressive roster of international artists in this exhibition are known for addressing community-specific issues in their work, and a key component to the exhibition will be the satellite projects throughout the community. Freedom pertains to the choices citizens make as well as the artists’ capacity to act, achieve their goals and involve others in their vision.”
Artists include: Kim Abeles, Agnes Denes, Dan Devine, Field Faring, Futurefarmers, Anya Gallaccio, Avital Geva, Lonnie Graham, Harrison Studio, Mei Ling Hom, Homeadow Song Farm, Patricia Johanson, Sakarin Krue-On, J. J. McCracken, Matthew Moore, N55, Permaganic Eco Garden, Mara Adamitz Scrupe, Bonnie Ora Sherk, Åsa Sonjasdotter, Susan Leibovitz Steinman, Tatfoo Tan, Shannon Young
Green Acres is made possible by an Emily Hall Tremaine Exhibition Award and exhibition sponsors Legg Mason Investment Counsel; Jen & John Stein; ArtsWave Corporate Partner: Duke Energy Corporation.
About the Contemporary Arts Center
Founded in November 1939 as the Modern Art Society by three visionary women in Cincinnati, the Contemporary Arts Center was one of the first institutions in the U.S. dedicated to exhibiting the art of our time. In May 2003, the CAC relocated to its first free-standing home, the Lois & Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art, designed by Zaha Hadid. Throughout its distinguished history, the CAC has earned a reputation for stimulating thought and introducing new ideas by presenting the work of diverse artists from around the world, including hundreds of now-famous artists such as Laurie Anderson, Jasper Johns, Louise Nevelson, Nam June Paik, I.M. Pei, Pablo Picasso, Robert Rauschenberg, Kara Walker, and Andy Warhol. The CAC focuses on new developments in painting, sculpture, photography, architecture, performance art, and new media, presenting six to 12 exhibitions and over 20 performances annually.
The CAC receives ongoing support from: ArtsWave; Macy’s; Ohio Arts Council; The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation; The National Endowment for the Arts; the generous contributions of individuals, corporations and foundations; CAC memberships, facility rentals, special events and sales from the CAC Store. UnMuseum programs and artists are sponsored in part by Duke Energy; the Charles H. Dater Foundation; Josephine Schell Russell Charitable Trust, PNC Bank, Trustee; Scripps Howard Foundation; The Ladislas and Vilma Segoe Foundation; and U.S. Bancorp Foundation.
