Talk

From iconic museums to contemporary galleries, works of art are often conceived and presented in dialogue with the exhibition spaces where they are shown. While invisible, the history of that context shapes the way we come to see and understand art. Within the dizzying visual backdrop of buildings, people, streets, advertising, and the broader landscape, the public sphere offers a densely layered and complex history. An ever-changing public realm has little regard for the conventions of art history and the white cube, and calls on artworks to communicate beyond the traditional exhibition space.

For the Fall 2013 Talks at The New School, Square Pegs, Round Holes: From White Cube to Public Sphere, Public Art Fund invites artists whose diverse practices have encompassed significant work in gallery and museum contexts, as well as in the public sphere, to share their experiences of working in both the white cube and the public realm.

One of Brazil’s most accomplished contemporary artists, Iran do Espírito Santo’s body of work ranges from exquisitely detailed works on paper to large-scale wall pieces and immersive sculptural installations. Much of his art explores the space between the concrete and the abstract, translating familiar forms and everyday materials into formally precise and perceptually complex works. Dealing with surface, structure, light, and the inherent character of different materials such as glass, stone, and cast metal, his singular forms often create subtle illusionistic effects. Inviting viewers to participate in this realm of perceptual experience, the artist’s new public work for New York City, Playground, takes on an ambitious architectural scale at the entrance to Central Park. The development of his work, leading to his largest public work to date, will be the focus of his first public talk in New York.

Iran do Espírito Santo (b. 1963, Mococa, Brazil) lives and works in São Paulo. He received his B.A. at the Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado in São Paulo. His works have been exhibited widely in museums and galleries worldwide and have been included in the collections of many prominent international museums, including The Museum of Modern Art, New York; the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; and The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. His works have been included in the Venice Biennale, the Bienal de São Paulo, and the Istanbul Biennal. Recent exhibitions have included The Portrait as an Image of the World at Museu de Arte Moderna de São Paulo and Present Tense at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. He is represented by Sean Kelly Gallery in New York.

Public Art Fund Talks at The New School are organized by the Public Art Fund in collaboration with the Vera List Center for Art and Politics.