By Tammy Scileppi
Your home is an expression of who you are, so whether you’re tidy or sloppy, a minimalist or collector, fashion conscious or not, your intimate space reflects your personality.
Experience the aesthetics of decorating and domesticity during an exhibition at SculptureCenter in Long Island City, from April 22 through July 22. Viewing retro/contemporary conceptual works, created by a select group of visionary artists with fresh perspectives on interior design, visitors will be introduced to new and exciting art forms.
The works on display will also supply creative new answers to the age-old question: What makes a home a home?
“I am really excited to see what people take away from the exhibition, as a lot of the artists are posing significant questions about the construction of the contemporary household,” said Ruba Katrib, curator of the SculptureCenter.
Progressive works encompass homemaking concepts and such – in modernity vs. 19th and 20th centuries – exploring the evolution of the home, along with changing ideas of family, identity, décor trends, and even politics, while examining the impact of mass market influences on consumers’ decorating and lifestyle choices.
The exhibition will include several artists’ works grouped around a variety of themes. German-born artist Kirsten Pieroth’s “Notions of legacy and heritage” looks at how using simple materials that refer to valuable family heirlooms, such as Fabergé eggs and crystal glassware, symbolize domesticity and familial bonds.
In “Portraits of intimate spaces,” Japanese artist Yuki Kimura’s black and white prints displayed on freestanding panel structures explore the beauty of minimalism.
Modernist architecture in Brazil and class structures from the servants’ perspectives, are the focus of a film by Tamar Guimarães and examine the schism between a 1950s “hedonistic” home and those who care for it.
Design magic happens when out-of-the-box ideas join forces with innovative style elements.
Throughout the three-month run of the show, the SculptureCenter, 44-19 Purves St., plans to hold public programs to complement the works.
On Wednesday, May 8; as part of the SC Evenings, visitors can get a peek at the accompanying guidebook with the “Better Homes” publication launch. Then, on July 2, Penny Sparke, a professor of design history at Kingston University, London, will take part in a conservation on home design. Her books include The Modern Interior (2008) and Elsie de Wolfe: The Birth of Modern Decoration (2005).
IF YOU GO:
SculptureCenter
Exhibition: Better Homes
Monday, April 22 – Monday, July 22
(Opening Reception: Sunday, April 21, 5 p.m.)
Gallery Hours: Thursday – Monday 11 a.m.- 6 p.m.
44-19 Purves St.
L.I.C., NY
(718)361-1750
www.sculpture-center.org
