Hirshhorn Presents March “Meet the Artist” Programs
In March, the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden presents the latest programs in its ongoing Meet the Artist series, which invites preeminent contemporary artists to discuss their work in the museum’s Ring Auditorium. Both programs are free. Seating is first-come, first-served.
Meet the Artist: Jeremy Deller
Thursday, March 20; 7 p.m.
Winner of the 2004 Turner Prize, Deller (British, b. London, 1966) is known for elaborate artworks that tap into social issues and involve the participation of numerous people. On view at the Hirshhorn through Aug. 31, “Directions: Jeremy Deller” features “English Magic” (2012), a 14-minute moving-image work that offers an idiosyncratic collective portrait of Britishness and can also be seen as an “esoteric, mystical pop video.” The work anchored the solo exhibition of the same title in the British Pavilion at the 2013 Venice Biennale. Deller’s masterwork, “The Battle of Orgreave” (2001), a reenactment of a 1984 conflict between police and striking miners, was included in the 2008 Hirshhorn exhibition “The Cinema Effect: Illusion, Reality, and the Moving Image, Part II: Realisms.”
This event is co-sponsored by the British Council and American University’s Studio Art Program.
Meet the Artist: Christian Marclay
Saturday, March 29; 4 p.m.
Over the past three decades, Christian Marclay (American, b. San Rafael, Calif., 1955) has produced a remarkable variety of works exploring the convergence of sight and sound. His oeuvre spans a range of mediums, including performance, solo recording, compilation, sculpture, photography, painting, video and multimedia installation. Much of his work is based on readymade images, objects, texts and films. His politically resonant 14-minute video installation “Guitar Drag” (2000)—part of the exhibition “Damage Control: Art and Destruction Since 1950,” on view through May 26—depicts a loudly amplified electric guitar being violently dragged along a Texas country road by a pickup truck, alluding to the 1998 murder of James Byrd Jr. At the 2011 Venice Biennale, Marclay was awarded the Golden Lion for his 24-hour timepiece montage “The Clock” (2010), a compilation of thousands of film extracts from every genre and period. The artist will discuss his creative process with “Damage Control” co-curator Russell Ferguson, professor of art at UCLA.
This event is sponsored by the Embassy of Switzerland and the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia.
Public Programs
The Hirshhorn offers a range of interactive educational experiences designed to engage people of all interest levels in contemporary art; consult hirshhorn.si.edu for a complete schedule. Also available on the website is the museum’s archive of podcasts, which makes gallery walk-throughs and interviews with artists accessible internationally.
About the Hirshhorn
The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the Smithsonian’s museum of international modern and contemporary art, has nearly 12,000 paintings, sculptures, photographs, mixed-media installations, works on paper and new media works in its collection. The Hirshhorn presents diverse exhibitions and offers an array of public programs that explore modern and contemporary art. Located at Independence Avenue and Seventh Street S.W., the museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). Admission to the galleries and special programs is free. For more information about exhibitions and events, visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Follow the Hirshhorn on Facebook at facebook.com/hirshhorn, on Twitter at twitter.com/hirshhorn and on Tumblr at hirshhorn.tumblr.com. Or sign up for the museum’s eBlasts at hirshhorn.si.edu/collection/social-media. To request accessibility services, contact Kristy Maruca at marucak@si.edu or (202) 633-2796, preferably two weeks in advance.
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