July 29, 2011 | Details | Comments (1)
As today's opening date drew near, the MoCP staff put the finishing touches on the museum's newest exhibition, Our Origins. Created and organized by Allison Grant, the entire MoCP has put a lot of diligent work into this new exhibition. Take a look at the photos below to see how the installation went, from unpacking the crates to hanging the artwork and everything in between.
Our Origins opens at the MoCP today -- Friday, July 29. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information on the exhibition or any of the events running in conjunction with the show, check out our website or call 312-369-7104.
July 25, 2011 | Details | Comments (4)
Allison Grant standing in front of SEMICONDUCTOR's Black Rain, 2009
Allison Grant is fascinated by the way evolution shapes human nature. This fascination formed the foundation of her curatorial debut at the Museum of Contemporary Photography, Our Origins, which opens July 29, 2011.
Featuring works by Aspen Mays, Jason Lazarus and Jenny Akerlund, among others, Our Origins tackles human's efforts to describe their nature, their shared evolutionary past and their relation to the cosmos through both artistic expression and scientific analysis.
"The show looks at humans' attempts to trace our origins beyond recorded history and look at the questions that end up really being unanswerable," says Grant. "I think it asks pretty big questions and it doesn't even start to answer them. I hope people will leave with a sense of wonder."
According to Grant, who has worked at the MoCP since 2008, the idea behind the show came to her when artist Alison Ruttan submitted a portfolio to the MoCP for review. This particular portfolio of Ruttan's work explored the links between humans and primates that ultimately suggested a common ancestor.
"I knew I wanted to do a show about science," says Grant, "and I knew I wanted her to be in the show. So, that was really the springboard." From there, Grant says she began looking at other artists whose work deals with humans' place within the cosmos, beginning with the Big Bang.
"I'm really excited about the SEMICONDUCTOR video," says Grant. "It's a spectacular vertical piece of footage taken from a NASA camera orbiting the Earth. It was supposed to videotape the sun, but it swings a bit and instead takes in much more of the galaxy."
The show also includes work by Rachel Sussman, Julia Büttelmann, Alison Carey, Eric William Carroll, Michelle Ceja, Ken Fandell, Scott McFarland, Patricia Piccinini, Mark Ruwedel, Jennifer Ray and Penelope Umbrico.
In conjunction with the show, which runs through October 16, the MoCP will be hosting the following events:
* Aug. 25 at 6pm - Behavioral Brethren: Links Between Human and Non-human Primates, a conversation moderated by WBEZ's Gabriel Spitzer between artist Alison Ruttan and Laurie Santos, PhD, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Yale University
* Sept. 8 at 4pm - Opening Reception and Gallery Talk, a discussion with artists Alison Carey, Ken Fandell, Jennifer Ray and Alison Ruttan moderated by curator Allison Grant, followed by a reception and stargazing in Grant Park with astronomer Joe Guzman
* Oct. 4 at 6pm - Beyond Visibility: Photography and Our Connection to the Cosmos, a conversation with artist Aspen Mays and Kathryn Schaffer, PhD from the University of Chicago
For more information about _Our Origins_ or its related events, please check out the MoCP website or follow us on Facebook.
July 20, 2011 | Details | Comments (1)
The Museum of Contemporary Photography is pleased to announce Natasha Egan as its new Director beginning September 1, 2011.
Egan has been at the MoCP for 15 years and has organized numerous national and international exhibitions, such as Made in China; The Edge of Intent; The Road to Nowhere? for the Fotofest 2010 Biennial; and, most recently, Public Works at the MoCP.
Egan has contributed essays to such publications as Shimon Attie: The History of Another; Beate Gütschow: LS/S; Michael Wolf: The Transparent City and Placing Memory: A Photographic Exploration of Japanese American Internment. Additionally, she frequently juries national and international exhibitions and lectures.
Current Director Rod Slemmons, who is leaving the MoCP to become a Curator-at-Large and Director of Special Projects in Columbia College Chicago's Office of Academic Research, leaves behind a strong legacy at the MoCP.
"I'm quite proud of all that we've been able to accomplish over my past nine years at the MoCP," says Mr. Slemmons. "When I arrived, the permanent collection began at 1957 and was purely American. We quickly changed that to 1936, allowing us to include major holdings by photographers working during the Great Depression - plus, we diversified the collection by including more international work."
"The institution has seen significant progress under Rod Slemmons' direction," said Egan, "and I'm thrilled to build upon his efforts."
For more information on changes at the museum, upcoming shows and exhibitions, or details on the artists that comprise its permanent collection, please take a look at the MoCP's website, keep updated here on our newly renovated blog or become a fan on Facebook.
July 7, 2011 | Details | Comments (1)
Bright yellow banners lining the streets of Chicago have just one message to share: "Go Do Good."
In conjunction with this public service campaign, the Chicago Photography Collective (CPC) has assembled a show boasting many MoCP collection photographers in an effort to document all the good being done within the city. Their photographs will be on display beginning July 7 at the pop-up gallery located at 108 N. State St. on the first floor of Block 37.
The positive message of the exhibition promotes a "pay it forward" mentality meant to encourage good deeds through artistic recognition. The show, which runs through Oct. 1, features 11 photographers focusing on the different ways Chicago citizens continue to "do good."
The following contributing photographers, whose exhibition pieces each focus on a different Chicago neighborhood, are also members of the MoCP's permanent collection:
· Patty Carroll chronicles the work being done by Garfield Park's Inspiration Kitchens, a non-profit offering food service training to homeless and low-income men and women.
· Eric Futran explores Bridgeport's Growing Power, an organization creating and managing urban farmland for both inner-city residents and popular farmer's markets.
· Ron Gordon highlights Pilsen's Growing Station Community in the hopes of showing how simple gestures of kindness and compassion can spread throughout a neighborhood.
· Marc PoKempner focuses on the work of famous social activists, such as Jimmy Carter, Allen Ginsberg, lending activist Gail Cincotta and recycling entrepreneur Ken Dunn.
· Ron Seymour depicts Chicago's largest housing provider, Deborah's Place, which is known for supporting women who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
The opening reception, which is free and open to the public, runs from 5 to 8 p.m.
