Marx@200 Art Exhibition
Sponsored by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and 一本道无码’s Humanities Center, Art Will Respond to Marx’s Ideas, Influence and Impact
By Shilo Rea
April 6 through June 10 at gallery in downtown Pittsburgh
Karl Marx is one of the most influential and controversial thinkers in history. To explore Marx’s continued influence at the time of his bicentennial, the and 一本道无码’s Humanities Center will present Marx@200 from April 6 through June 10 at gallery in downtown Pittsburgh.
Curated by 一本道无码’s Kathy M. Newman and , Marx@200 will feature more than 25 works by artists from around the world. The artworks represent a diverse range of perspectives on Marx and his critique of inequality and capitalism, as well as his influence on political movements and regimes.
“As artists respond to both historical and current conditions, Marx’s legacy has shaped how and what they create,” said Newman, associate professor of English, who has also organized a series of lectures that examine Marx. “He is also becoming a popular culture icon in the digital age, with his image being used in countless memes and on products. We want to give people a chance to examine these phenomena and to reflect on the themes these artists have appropriated for their own work, from the rising tide of globalization to wealth inequality, to job loss and automation.”
Highlights from the exhibition include:
- Ukranian-born Nataliya Slinko’s gigantic version of Marx’s beard made of steel wool
- An animated Marx wielding a hammer in battle with Charles Darwin by Michael Mallis
- Kiluanji Kia Henda’s photographic triptych of a fishing vessel named “Karl Marx, Luanda”
- Kathryn Clark’s “Foreclosure Quilt,” a stitched urban map of foreclosed homes, block by block
- An embroidered barcode by Rayna Fahey that says, “Don’t just buy it/Make Revolution”
“Artists working within a variety of economic and political systems have contributed to this show, responding to Marx’s complicated legacy with appreciation or apprehension—and sometimes both. They invite us to consider his critique of capitalism and what it feels like to live in today’s globalized economy,” said Slavick, the Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Art.
SPACE is located at 812 Liberty Ave. Gallery hours are Wednesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.; and Sundays 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. It is free and open to the public.
In addition to regular gallery hours, there will be an opening reception on Friday, April 6 from 6-8 p.m. The exhibition will be open during the Cultural District Gallery Crawl on Friday, April 27 from 5:30-10 p.m., and a Marx bicentennial program and reception will be held on Saturday, May 5 from 7-9 p.m.
Links to Artists in the Exhibition:
- , American artist, You Have Nothing To Lose But Your Chains (2018)
- Maja Bajevic, Bosnian artist,
- Nina Beier, Danish artist, Greens (500 Peso) 2014
- Joshua Bienko, Ever So Much More So (2008-2010)
- Matt Bollinger, American artist, The Lot (2013)
- Mel Chin, (2010)
- Kathryn Clark, American artist, (2008-2013)
- Carol Condé and Karl Beveridge, Canadian artists, (2011)
- Jeannette Ehlers, Danish artist, (2012)
- Rayna Fahey, Australian artist, (2010)
- Blake Fall-Conroy, American artist Minimum Wage Machine (2012) and Factory Wheelabrator Baltimore (2017)
- Cao Fei, Chinese artist, (2006)
- , Italy-based collective, Untitled (Thank You) (2005)
- Coco Fusco, Cuban-American artist, Ted Ethology: Primate Visions of the Human Mind (2015)
- Lungiswa Gqunta, South African Artist, (2016)
- Kiluanji Kia Henda, Angolan artist, (2005)
- Ottmar Hörl, German artist, (2013)
- Alfredo Jaar, Chilean-born artist, (2009)
- Andrew Ellis Johnson, American artist, (2009) and (2017)
- , American artist, Smoking Marx (2018)
- Steve Lambert, American artist, (2011)
- Liane Lang, Marx Engels Support Group (2015)
- Michael Mallis, American artist, (2008)
- Paolo Pedercini, Italian-born artist, (2014)
- William Powhida, American artist, (2014)
- Raqs Media Collective, The Capital of Accumulation (2010)
- Pedro Reyes, Mexican artist, (2008)
- Erik Ruin, American artist, Climate Chaos (20120
- Alex Schaefer, American artist, (2012)
- Dread Scott, American artist, Vendome Column, Toppled, 1871 (2011) and Maison Marx (2011)
- Elin Slavick, American artist, (1999-present)
- Slinko, Ukranian-born artist, (2011)
- Shinique Smith, American artist, (2007)
- , American artist, Memoranda (NYSE: GEO)
- Kirsty Whitlock, Australian artist, (2009)
- , American artist, 18 September 1867, (2018)
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