Myths of the Marble

The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia is pleased to present Myths of the Marble, a unique exhibition collaboration with the Henie Onstad Kunstsenter (HOK) in Oslo, Norway. The exhibition will be on view at ICA April 28 through August 6, 2017.

Myths of the Marble considers how the "virtual" has been engaged by a varied group of contemporary artists as a way to image and imagine the world (the Blue Marble) as both a site of possibility and a set of limitations. Although "virtual reality" might conjure associations with early cybernetic theory and computer animation, today "virtuality" permeates both physical space and online experience.

At a moment when the capacity to depict the world in high definition has never been greater, reality is itself increasingly articulated as a construction. In this respect, it is essential that the "virtual" be seen not simply as an escapist technology promoted by Silicon Valley, but reclaimed as a metaphor or proposition to navigate lived sociopolitical experience.

While the exhibition troubles the line between the analog and the digital it also reflects back on the context of the museum and the body of the viewer. In so doing it suggests a more nuanced approach to technological production (be it hard, soft, or wet) that insists on materiality and the mobilization of a new political imaginary.  Here, the virtual is a space of potentiality, a space in which to explore material agency and to push against, to move beyond, and to reflect back on human limitations. As a result, Myths of the Marble considers alternative forms of virtuality that meditate on extensions of the body, ecological formations, and architectural space and that emphasize the time-bound, the perceptual, and the haptic.

These ideas are explored through a wide range of mediums from painting, sculpture, and installation to video, 16mm film, and VR-technology by an international group of artists.

Participating artists:
Rachel de Joode / Cayetano Ferrer / Ane Graff / Ignas Krunglevičius / Chris Marker / Daria Martin / Florian Meisenberg / Shahryar Nashat / Sondra Perry / Jacolby Satterwhite / Susanne M. Winterling

Co-curated by Alex Klein, Dorothy and Stephen R. Weber (CHE'60) Curator (ICA) and Milena Hoegsberg, Senior Curator (HOK).

The exhibition is initiated by Henie Onstad Kunstsenter, where the exhibition was on view February 3 through April 2, 2017, and conceived and produced in collaboration with the Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania, where the exhibition will be on view April 28 through August 6, 2017. The two institutions have co-commissioned seven new works, and will also co-produce a fully illustrated catalogue published by Sternberg Press with contributions by scholars Tom Holert and Homay King in June 2017.

The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue co-produced by ICA and HOK, which will be published by Sternberg Press and feature contributions by scholars Tom Holert and Homay King.

Support for Myths of the Marble has been provided by The Inchworm Fund, the Royal Norwegian Consulate General, Dorothy & Martin Bandier, Charles X Block, Stephanie & David Simon, Brett & Daniel Sundheim, and Caroline & Daniel Werther. Additional travel support was provided by the Office for Contemporary Art Norway (OCA). 

About The Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania
The Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania is a non-collecting institution presenting exhibitions at the forefront of contemporary practice and culture that challenge audiences to think in new ways. The ICA is free for all to engage and connect with the art of our time. Since its founding in 1963, ICA has served as a laboratory for the new, introducing and supporting the production of urgent and important contemporary art, beginning with ICA’s inaugural show of paintings by Abstract Expressionist Clyfford Still, followed by the first museum show of works by Andy Warhol in 1965. Throughout its history, ICA has been instrumental in identifying and developing many promising artists before they attained prominence within the international art world, some of whom include—in addition to Warhol—Laurie Anderson, Richard Artschwager, Vija Celmins, Karen Kilimnik, Barry Le Va, Glenn Ligon, Robert Mapplethorpe, Agnes Martin, Pepón Osorio, Tavares Strachan, and Cy Twombly.

About Henie Onstad Kunstsenter (HOK)
Henie Onstad Kunstsenter (HOK) was established in 1968 as a donation of the collectors Sonja Henie and Niels Onstad. The choice of “Kunstsenter,” rather than “museum,” was deliberate, signalling that HOK was to be not only a keeper of a strong modern European collection, but also a producer of experimental art.

Today HOK is one of Norway’s leading institutions for the Norwegian and international art scene. The Kunstsenter is an active arena for debate and social critique, with a broad commitment to the arts and its audience. Its expertise, collections, and historical identity lie in the interdisciplinary field, with special emphasis on the relationship between art, sound, performance, and the historical avant-garde.