s(how)

February 18, 2003

Working in conjunction with the University of Pennsylvania's Department of Art History, ICA is pleased to announce the second exhibition organized by participants of the curatorial studies seminar at the University of Pennsylvania. Presented in ICA's Project Space, s(how) is the culmination of a year-long seminar on contemporary art and curating taken by ten art history majors from the University of Pennsylvania. s(how) weaves two distinct themes - visual ephemerality and bodily consumption- around a single group of artworks, reflecting on how art is "made to mean" through the curatorial process. Each artwork simultaneously addresses both themes, while allowing for a wide spectrum of interpretation. With its focus on the interpretive process of the curator(s), this exhibition is a reflection on its own making.

This exhibition will include artists that work in a variety of media and genres, among them: Stuart Netsky, Thomas Ruff, Vik Muniz, Jac Leirner, Oscar Muñoz, Jenny Holzer, Muntadas and Nina Katchadourian. The Preview Reception, which is free and open to the public, is scheduled for Friday, May 2, from 6 to 8pm. An exhibition walkthrough, led by University of Pennsylvania Lecturer Jennie Hirsh and Curators Justin Belmont and Nancy Oster will take place on Friday, May 2 at 4:30pm.

ICA's Art History Project, one of the few undergraduate curatorial programs in the country and the only one presented in collaboration with a major contemporary art museum, is a unique opportunity for students to participate in the professional museum art world. Offered once every other year, this program allows 10 students to manage every aspect of a thematic exhibition of contemporary art - from designing the exhibit to securing the loans, the students work on all facets of the exhibition presentation process. Starting with an analysis of the major trends and issues in contemporary art, the students then participated in a series of gallery, studio and private collection tours that allowed them unprecedented access to both artists and collectors throughout the East Coast. Building on their initial research, the students collectively decided upon a theme for the exhibition and the artists to be featured. Each student then took on a specific responsibility: from marketing the exhibition, to securing artwork loans, to exploring fundraising opportunities. Individual internship assignments included: Development, Marketing, Curatorial, Publications, and Education.

Throughout the process the students have been working closely with the staff of the ICA and are guided in their day-to-day activities by the ICA Curatorial Fellow José Roca, the Curator of Education Johanna Plummer, and instructor Jennie Hirsh.

ICA acknowledges primary sponsorship for this project from The Buddy Taub Foundation and generous funding from the Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation. Additional support has been provided by The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, The Dietrich Foundation Inc., the William Penn Foundation, the Overseers Board for the Institute of Contemporary Art, friends and members of ICA, and the University of Pennsylvania. (Information complete as of 2/25/03.)

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