Carolyn Lazard: Long Take

This spring, the Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania (ICA) presents the first US solo museum exhibition of Carolyn Lazard (b. 1987). Co-commissioned with the Walker Art Center and Nottingham Contemporary, Carolyn Lazard: Long Take explores the social and aesthetic dimensions of accessibility through documentation and performance. Featuring an immersive multi-channel video and sound work anchored by four sculptures that reimagine existing ICA seating for media viewing, the exhibition encourages visitors to reconsider the form in which an artwork resides and why sight has been privileged in the spectatorship of dance. The exhibition will be on view from March 10 through July 9, 2023.

Through Long Take, Lazard examines the legacy of dance for the camera through the lens of accessibility as a creative tool. A sound installation anchors the work, which includes a recorded reading of a dance score, the sound of a dancer’s movement and breath, and an audio description. To create the sound piece, Lazard provided dancer and choreographer Jerron Herman with an original dance score, filmed his performance, and subsequently collaborated with poet and artist Joselia Rebekah Hughes on the audio description of the filmed recording.

The resulting work intentionally blurs the boundaries between movement, description, and translation. By presenting this dance work using text and sound rather than visually, Lazard examines how a performance might be communicated beyond its image and encourages us to think about ways that artworks are made accessible. The work also places new emphasis on the often-unseen networks of care, labor, and friendship that make collaborative endeavors possible.

The exhibition at the ICA is experienced within a gallery covered with vinyl flooring mats harkening to a dance studio. Within the space, Lazard places existing ICA seating, reimagined and altered by Lazard with cushioning, backrests, and height adjustments. Through this sculptural intervention, the seating becomes more suitable for longer stays and more welcoming for visitors with varying access needs. Following the exhibition’s opening, a text-based description of the gallery experience will be available in both text and digital braille formats.

Carolyn Lazard: Long Take is co-commissioned by the Walker Art Center; the Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania; and Nottingham Contemporary. The exhibition is curated by Meg Onli, Curator; Pavel Pyś, Curator, Visual Arts, Walker Art Center; and Olivia Aherne, Curator, Exhibitions, Nottingham Contemporary. Site-specific versions of the exhibition debuted in February 2022 at the Walker and is currently being presented at Nottingham Contemporary through May 7, 2023.

Support for Carolyn Lazard: Long Take is provided by The Inchworm Fund. Additional support is provided by Linda & Jeffrey Chodorow, Cheri & Steven Friedman, Marjorie & Michael Levine, B.Z. & Michael Schwartz, Patricia & Howard Silverstein, and Dorothy & Stephen Weber. Textiles courtesy of Maharam.