William Kentridge
30 November 2005 – 05 March 2006
Miami Art Central MAC
5960 SW 57 Avenue
South Miami, FL 33143
Hours during Art Basel Miami Beach
Nov 30 Dec 3, 9 am – 7pm
www.miamiartcentral.org
William Kentridge, detail from Portage, 2000, Leporello book. Photo: Roger Woodridge. Courtesy Marian Goodman Gallery, New York; Goodman gallery, Johannesburg and Galleria Lia Rumma, Napoli.
Introducing William Kentridge
From November 30, 2005 March 5, 2006, on the occasion of Art Basel Miami Beach, Miami Art Central, popularly known as MAC, presents William Kentridge, a comprehensive examination of the work of the renowned South African artist. Kentridge has gained international recognition for his distinctive animated short films, and for the many charcoal drawings created through a unique process of erasure and re-drawing. A native of Johannesburg, Kentridge has always addressed the more challenging and intimate aspects of contemporary life in South Africa, both during Apartheid and the post-Apartheid period, investigating the ways in which identities are shaped through shifting ideas of history and place. In the course of his examination, he explores the role of poetry in contemporary society, and offers a biting, satirical commentary of that society, proposing a way of seeing life as process rather than as fact. Through the mediums of film, sculptures, installation, charcoal drawings on paper and his work in theater as a set designer and director, Kentridge has explored the nature of memory and emotions, the ambiguity and complexity of social conflicts in the age of globalization.
William Kentridge: background
William Kentridges labor-intensive work involves the scripting and making of a drawing that animates an element of the script. He films each drawing as a single frame in sequence. Each drawing is then altered by erasure and further drawing as his narrative advances, essentially eliminated by the superimposition of the next drawing on the ground of the preceding one. The final work is presented as a film, a process associated with the making of animated films throughout the history of cinema in the 20th century.
The exhibition William Kentridge premieres Tide Table (2003-2004), the artists newest animated film, and includes early and recent drawings made by the artist since 1979. It includes animated films featuring Kentridges signature characters, Soho Eckstein and his alter ego Felix Teitlebaum. MACs exhibition also includes sculpture with projections onto objects such as Sleeping on Glass (1999) and Medicine Chest (2000), as well as recent works including Journey to the Moon (2003).
Prior to its presentation at MAC, William Kentridge traveled to K20 K21 Kunstsammlung Nordrhein Westfalen, Düsseldorf; Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney; Musée dArt Contemporain de Montréal; and the Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg after its original presentation at the Castello di Rivoli Museo dArte Contemporanea.
About Miami Art Central
Founded by Ella Fontanals Cisneros in December 2003 and sponsored by the Cisneros Fontanals Arts Foundation, Miami Art Central (MAC) is a leading not-for-profit institution that serves as an alternative and experimental space for the arts. MAC is committed to the development of exhibitions and public programs that integrate visual arts, music, film, literature, and the performing arts. Through the active integration of its exhibitions and public programs, MAC visitors are invited to explore contemporary art and culture within a critical and interdisciplinary framework. Through the presentation of lectures, screenings, workshops, publications, and round-table discussions, MAC aims to initiate and support a vital arts dialogue with the various communities in South Florida and beyond.
MAC has presented both monographic and collective shows including artists from around the globe. In the interest of fostering cultural exchange, Miami Art Central works with national and international museums and foundations. These include the Museu dart Contemporani, Barcelona; The Secession, Vienna; Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art, Rotterdam; The New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York; The Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; The Wattis Institute for Contemporary Art, San Francisco; Centre national d’art et de culture Georges Pompidou, Paris; Castello di Rivoli Museo dArte Contemporanea; Pinacoteca do Estado, Sao Paulo, and Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Its public programs are sponsored, in part by the Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation, (CIFO), corporate sponsors, and private art patrons.
Rina Carvajal, executive director and chief curator, MAC
Recently appointed the executive director and chief curator of Miami Art Central, highly regarded arts professional Rina Carvajal brings a world of experience, ideas and images to the fertile ground of Miamis thriving art community. In the first months of her tenure, on the eve of a major traveling exhibition of noted multidisciplinary artist William Kentridge, Carvajal has positioned MAC as a vital cultural destination for the city of Miami, both a mission and an opportunity. In less than two years Miami Art Central has made a substantial impact on the community with outstanding exhibitions and programs, while contributing substantially to the international conversation of contemporary art. MAC has established itself as a leading institution for contemporary art and culture in Miami and internationally.
A familiar figure in the international world and art institutions, Carvajal was previously the director of the Mason Gross Art Galleries at Rutgers University, adjunct curator for the 1998 XXIV São Paulo Biennial, and Ahmanson Curatorial Fellow at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles from 19972000. Carvajal served as curator of contemporary art at the Museum of Fine Arts, and as deputy director of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Caracas, Venezuela. She is the author of numerous essays and exhibition catalogues on international contemporary art, and received her Bachelors and Masters of Fine Arts degrees from New York University.
William Kentridge: catalogue and outreach:
William Kentridge is accompanied by a fully-illustrated, 256-page color catalogue with essays by Carolyn Christov Bakargiev, curator of the exhibition, and by South African scholar Jane Taylor. Visitors to William Kentridge are provided with a variety of education materials and programs, including a free brochure designed to provide information concerning the artist and the exhibition. Public programs are intended to foster an active dialogue with visitors through gallery talks, special lectures by the artist and renowned scholars, an African film festival, educational programs for school and university students, adult education courses on video production, family programs, concerts, and literature readings.
Special Events for Art Basel Miami Beach
IBreakfast @ MAC
Wednesday – Sunday, November 30 December 3, 9 am to noon
Come visit Miami Art Centrals new exhibition, William Kentridge, and join us for coffee and light breakfast.
In Conversation: Arthur Danto and William Kentridge
Monday, November 28th 2005 at 7 pm
Arthur C. Danto, Emeritus Johnsonian Professor of Philosophy at Columbia University will join us for an intimate conversation with South African artist William Kentridge, whose survey exhibition will be opening at Miami Art Central this winter.
PLEASE NOTE:
THIS EVENT WILL NOT TAKE PLACE ON PREMISES AT MIAMI ART CENTRAL
SPECIAL LOCATION:
Bill Cosford Cinema, University of Miami, School of Communication
The Bill Cosford Cinema is located at the University of Miami, Memorial Classroom Building (2nd Floor), 1111 Memorial Drive, Coral Gables.
William Kentridge Opening Reception
Tuesday, November 29 at 9 pm
Featuring the Preservation Hall Jazz Band from New Orleans
By Invitation Only
Gallery Talk with curator Carolyn Christov Bakargiev
Thursday, December 1, 2005 at 11 am
Please join us for a gallery talk with Carolyn Christov Bakargiev, chief curator of the Castello di Rivoli Museo dArte Contemporanea, Turino and curator of MACs current exhibition William Kentridge.
Exhibition Brochure
This illustrated, take-home brochure provides background information on Carmen Herrera and concepts that shape the exhibition. Available in the admissions desk. Free.
Exhibition
William Kentridge was organized by Castello di Rivoli Museo dArte Contemporanea, Rivoli-Torino. The exhibition is curated by Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev. The exhibition in Rivoli was made possible through the generous support of Regione Piemonte, Fondazione CRT, Cameradi di Commercio, Industria, Artigianato e Agricoltura di Torino, Cittá di Torino. Miami Art Centrals presentation of this exhibition is sponsored by the Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation
Hours and Location
Miami Art Central
5960 SW 57 Avenue
South Miami, FL 33143
Hours during Art Basel Miami Beach
Wednesday, November 30 Sunday, December 3, 9 am – 7pm
For more information please call 305 455 3336 or
visit www.miamiartcentral.org
