'Baggage Claims' and 'Virtual Views: Digital Art from the Thoma Foundation'
ORLANDO, September 6 2017 – This fall, the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) will unveil two contemporary art exhibitions. Baggage Claims highlights the work of 18 international artists who use suitcases, trunks and crates to create works of art that express provocative ideas about the mobility of global culture. Virtual Views: Digital Art from the Thoma Foundation examines the growing importance of electronic media in art. On September 15th, the two exhibitions will be kicked off with a VIP reception from 5:30-6:30pm. At 6:30pm, the exhibitions will open to the public. There will be a special performance by Baggage Claims artist Avery McQuaid Nelson Lawrence, a cash bar and complimentary soft drinks. The opening is free for Museum Members and $10 for Guests.
Baggage Claims
September 15 – December 31, 2017
This exhibition presents the work of an international group of 18 artists who explore the impact of the vast scale of population mobility. While baggage has always symbolized migration and freedom, in the context of the current global atmosphere it has become an emblem of uncertainty, fear, and change. On an intimate level, baggage transports and holds personal belongings, and by implication is a rich metaphor for individual and family histories. The term baggage also carries significant psychological meaning, referring to the burdens or blessings of those things in life that cannot be left behind. Baggage Claims is the first exhibition to present a new body of work by contemporary artists who are examining these timely themes. Baggage Claims is organized by the Orlando Museum of Art and curated by Ginger Gregg Duggan and Judith Hoos Fox, c2 - curatorsquared. The exhibition will begin a national tour in 2018.
Virtual Views: Digital Art from the Thoma Foundation
September 15 – December 31, 2017
Virtual Views explores the growing importance of electronic media in contemporary art as seen in the work of artists who are pioneers in the use of LEDs (light-emitting diodes), LCD (liquid crystal display), and computer-generated imagery. The exhibition features 13 works each using a variety of electronic hardware and digital technologies that draw inspiration from images of the natural world and aspects of human perception. The artists include: Jim Campbell, Daniel Canogar, Craig Dorety, John Gerrard, Matthew Kluber, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Manfred Mohr, Anne Morgan Spalter, Alan Rath, Daniel Rozin, Björn Schülke, Jennifer Steinkamp and Leo Villareal. The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation recognizes the power of the arts to challenge and shift perceptions, spark creativity and connect people across cultures. The Foundation’s art collection includes works from the early 20th century to the present with several areas of focus including: light art; interactive art; video installation; and other forms of contemporary art that engages technology.
For press images or additional information, please contact Michael Caibio, Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations Manager, at mcaibio@omart.org or at 407.896.4231 ext. 233.
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Image credits:
Avery McQuaid Nelson Lawrence, Arranging Suitcases, 2012, performance still. Dimensions variable. Photo credit: Ross McDermott © Avery McQuaid Nelson Lawrence. Image courtesy of the artist.
Jim Campbell, Home Movies, Pause, 2014; LEDs, metal, wire and custom electronics, 66 x 76 x 3 in. © Jim Campbell. Courtesy of the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation. Photo by Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery.