Indianapolis Museum of Art spearheads citywide art project

INDIANAPOLIS -- With partial funding from the Indianapolis Cultural Development Commission, the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) is spearheading a citywide public art project through Jan. 29, showcasing a monumental artwork designed by the late contemporary artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres (1957-1996). The IMA will install this piece on the museum's facade, the exteriors of other visual art organizations that show contemporary art and outdoor billboards throughout the city. The black-and white photograph, "Untitled (For Jeff)," on loan from the Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum, Washington, DC, depicts the palm of a reaching, open hand that suggests a range of meanings, such as a gesture of openness, a warm welcome or an offer of support.

"This is the first rime in the history of Indianapolis that an artwork will appear simultaneously in multiple locations," says Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson. "It's an indication that Indianapolis is a progressive cultural city, and it's another example of how the continued collaborations between out institutions generate a larger opportunity for our diverse communities to be engaged by art."

Mindy Taylor Ross, director of public art for the Arts Council of Indianapolis, adds, "This project is important because it asks our community to think about how we are affected everyday by the images that surround us. Whether you see the image of the hand as you walk under the Artsgarden, as you visit the Indianapolis Art Center or as you drive past a billboard, we hope it will spur you to think about art, image making, and the meaning this image and others take on for you."

Gonzalez-Torres, a Cuban-born artist, collaborated with museums in the early 1990s to place billboard artworks featuring different images in cities throughout the world, including Caracas, New York, Mexico City and Stockholm. "Untitled (For Jeff)" was named after a health care worker who nursed the artist's dying friend. In addition to the IMA, the image will be placed on the exteriors of the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art; the Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art; Indianapolis Art Center; and the Indianapolis Artsgarden.

"Gonzalez-Torres' billboards take his work directly into the public sphere, with the understanding that his images will be interpreted differently by each person and in each setting in which they appear," says Lisa Freiman, curator of contemporary art at IMA. "The image of the hand outstretched may be seen differently depending upon the neighborhood in which it appears, or if it is hung on the front of a cultural or civic organization's building. The context of the work becomes critical and demonstrates how meaning is relational."

Participating art organizations will host educational programs and events related to the exhibition. The project is in conjunction with the IMA opening of its new 25,000-square-foot contemporary art galleries.

For more information, call 317-920-2660; visit www.ima-art.org.

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