How do artists mediate between the need for intimate experience and the ambition to engage with the enormity of the world? Surrounds presents 11 watershed installations by living artists from the past two decades, conceived out of different circumstances but united in the scale of their ambition. Each explores physical scale as well: many are large and imposing, at times even literally surrounding the viewer. Others group smaller works into sequences that stretch across space. Some suggest the passing of long stretches of time, and some focus our attention on the stuff of everyday life. All mark decisive shifts in the careers of their makers and are on view at MoMA for the first time.
Surrounds includes work by Allora & Calzadilla, Sadie Benning, Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller, Sou Fujimoto, Sheila Hicks, Arthur Jafa, Mark Manders, Rivane Neuenschwander, Dayanita Singh, Hito Steyerl, and Sarah Sze.
Select transcripts are available for video and performance works at the Floor 5 Volunteer desk.
Organized by Quentin Bajac, former Joel and Anne Ehrenkranz Chief Curator of Photography, Christian Rattemeyer, Harvey S. Shipley Miller Associate Curator for Drawings and Prints, Yasmil Raymond, Associate Curator, Department of Painting and Sculpture, Sean Anderson, Associate Curator, Department of Architecture and Design, and Joshua Siegel, Curator, Department of Film, with Hillary Reder and Taylor Walsh, Curatorial Assistants, Department of Drawings and Prints and Kelly Sidley, former Curatorial Assistant, Photography. Special thanks to Michelle Kuo, Marlene Hess Curator, Department of Painting and Sculpture, Lucy Gallun, Associate Curator, Department of Photography, Erica Papernik-Shimizu, Associate Curator, Department of Media and Performance, Arièle Dionne-Krosnick, Curatorial Assistant, Department of Architecture and Design for their assistance. Performances produced by Kate Scherer, Manager, with Beatrice Johnson, Assistant Performance Coordinator, Performance and Live Programs.
