Virgil Marti: The Flowers of Romance

	Virgil Marti The Flowers of Romance, 2003, Mylar and mixed media, installation view, Courtesy of the Artist. Photo by Aaron Igler

The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) unveils the latest installation in the Ramp Project, "The Flowers of Romance" by Virgil Marti. This Philadelphia artist is internationally known for inserting high décor into fine art contexts. His installations, rich in humor, satire, shrewd observation, and questionable "good taste," work through a vocabulary of architectural history, pop art, and craft. For this installation, Marti will transform the ramp into a grand, psychedelic hall of mirrors. Incorporating Mylar and macramé the walls of the ICA ramp will mimic the imposing hallways that run through stately European homes, complete with chandeliers cast from deer antlers. Rather than instilling reverence and respect, "The Flowers of Romance", evokes laughter, a creeping crawling sense of faded beauty and funhouse antics. The exhibition will feature a full-color brochure.

Virgil Marti The Flowers of Romance, 2003, Mylar and mixed media, installation view, Courtesy of the Artist. Photo by Aaron Igler

Marti received an M.F.A. from the Tyler School of Art and a B.F.A. from Washington University and also studied at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. He has been included in several group and solo exhibitions locally and regionally, including "Grow Room" at Participant Inc., New York City; "On the Wall: Wallpaper and Tableau" at the Fabric Workshop and Museum; and exhibitions at Thread Waxing Space in New York; Vox Populi; Momenta Art Alternatives; Levy Gallery for the Arts in Philadelphia at Moore College of Art and Design; the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and Beaver College Art Gallery. Mr. Marti's work is included in the collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and The Fabric Workshop and Museum. He is currently a master printer at The Fabric Workshop and Museum.

ICA acknowledges the generous sponsorship of the William Penn Foundation for this project. Additional funding has been provided by The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, The Dietrich Foundation Inc., the Overseers Board for the Institute of Contemporary Art, friends and members of ICA, and the University of Pennsylvania. (Information complete as of 6/30/03.)