Boston. The Displaced New A historic social visual It shift is and and technologies, theoff-center, in cultural turn the of nature ramifications the disembodied from year of nanotechnology visuality 2007. ofand You contemporary occurred dehumanized, enter toin the satellite the new visualfifconICA viity remain temporary sion, teenth building, have century, unaware largely vision played when has unknown. athat fundamental redefined the yourepresentation are Wethe being have role way watched expanded inwe the ofsee linear expansion by our both discreetly perspective world what ofand huwe can see perceive man was placed first sight. cameras. and our articulated, While place the ways The these in based it.space inIthave which is roughly on feels offered the wesomehow presumption see. forty dramatic The years different mediated since advances that the the from quality Apollo world in our 8 of observable astronauts knowledge is other vision buildings today returned of from the refers you’ve world, afrom single not visited they their only and before. also mission tofixed the have technology Calculated point with resulted the of view. first architectural used in severing photographs In Super to create imagery, of the Vision, openings Earth connection the taken but reveal works also from between the the invite outer city contexts multiple and vision space. waterscapes inand and Earthrise which body. dynamic images The shows in new, points contemporary are our unexpected used of planet view, and as not itperceived. experience fully ways. hadrevealing never The framing As of been we vision, themselves seen—beautiful, become of freed thesefamiliar from and views unconstrained a unique provides yes, withbut depictions and also a kind static from vulnerable, ofviewing its mediation, our biologiworld and lothatroots, relatively cal cation. guiding areSculptures your not small hasreliant eyes profound within back by onthe Tony single-point implications and vastness Cragg forth between and of perspective, for the Anish advanced universe. detail Kapoor the and science possibilities appear vista.and This as are both global continuously mediation politics, thrilling of vision morphing asand well and daunting. asshapes perception our everyday Sigmar thathas demand lives. Polke’s been aa physical exquisite key theme engageand for textured From ment the architects while thepainting premodern activating of the reminds new camera our ICA, sight us of obscura Diller inthe new importance Scofidio to and theoften modern + Renfro ofpleasing context digital (DS+R), ways. or lack thereof. camera, Mona throughout Hatoum photography their The dramatically career. artisthas has Whether transformed magnified explores it is some the the ourovert original understanding of the usesubject conseof surveilof the image the quences As lance science world; technology to of the but and disembodied point that technology orwas ofthe disintegration, just creation vision the havebeginning: inof made her awhere building video visible the weinstallation that different Internet, no longer seems satelkinds Corps know to what lite étranger. of disappear structures navigation we are The in aseeing. and artist systems, mistworlds, of surrenders fog, web from DS+R cams, subatomic her have cell ownconsistently phone body particles cameras, to the toexplored scrutiny distant and much of galaxies, ways a camera that more our architecture are in traditional the nowultimate part can understanding ofactivate our invasion everyday vision, ofofpersonal life. the andnatural Inhow a privacy—the world vision world where afhas itSeveral video undergone fects seems our and artworks all perception accompanying arepresentations significant in this of physical room transformation. soundtrack are touch in space. some upon forMany way this the mediated, multilayered piece contemporary were domade we aspect need with artists the Yoko have ofassistance today’s Ono’s absorbed superhuman SkyofTV these a doctor to remind new vision. using visions usJeff an ofof the endoscopic Koons our beauty world, invokes ofwhich camera thethe sky? are fantasy Or to now Today, explore is reflected the our worlds sky visual thebeautiful inorifices, oftheir realm superheroes, art. because is cavities, significantly Paintings, superpowers, itand is on sculptures, internal different TV? organs and from photographs, supermodels that of the of all atinstallations artist’s and even once. 100 body. years Photoshop, ago—not compress thethe popular andbiology expand, software of blur sight,and created butfocus, its by cultural fragAdobe, plays and Contemporary ment context. a huge The multiply, ICA’s role vision ininaugural advance the technologies creation and exhibition, recede, ofpresent this Super seemingly twist a high-definition and Vision, redirect. fluid brings image, In a visual image In Bridget together a different ofRiley’s metaphor the our work world, way, 1962 of filmmaker ofyet our 27 painting itinternational image-saturated somehow Harun Pause,feels Farocki the artists unreal—flat, dotted culture, reflects in ansurface, both open oncropped, overthe examionce new whelming decontextualized, relationship understood nation of contemporary and as between exhilarating pure tooabstraction technology, close visuality—that attothe grasp, and same sight, optical too istime. and to farsay, illusion, the to A relate similar not individual only can to. visual now In what as this explosion room, expressed be we perceived arepaintings able takes intocurrent assee, by place reminiscent Jack but military inalso Goldstein, Julie the of and Mehretu’s asocial computer’s commercial Gerhard and Dispersion, conceptual Richter, virtual applications. screen and where frameSigmar In several Polke Eye/Machine, space—depthless, work through reference layers which of thephotography’s ink artist pixelated, we anduses see. acrylic These morphing. preexisting ability paint, artists to still Vision show footage visible takeis and on dependent on from our transform thecontemindussurface, on are visible, the trial time porary compressed and and experience military space; whether training the together ofin way vision, thereels, we to macro finding see create thethis vision 1991 ita painting at breathtaking of once Gulf sky pleasurable War, is observatories affected surveillance landscape by butour of color, and images, cultural also Google threatening, context. and fire,Earth television and ubiquitous, smoke. or the clips. micro Loosely His and vision subtitles intimate. inspired of molecular suggest by Their theapproaches attacks the science. conseof are September quences diverse both of 11, machine in form Mehretu’s and vision: inwork technique, the human captures and scale a while vision wassome of missing contempoof them … rarymachines Our the The take destruction—chaotic, new drive advantage visual to see perform knowledge of more, the new the whether fragmented, task technologies of the blindly intoworld infinity … and requires available, images spectacular. or the without differrealm othersofsocial work the ent ways intent, invisible, with media notisoffor athat mapping recurring reflection. are more and theme The familiar. navigating ability in Super to the see Vision. Earth. provides Through In La a sense Brea, his inTheempowerment—the Sunset, of stallation nature Orange, ofand pure essence De light, Longpre, James possibility of contemporary Turrell Ed of Ruscha controlling expands visuality superimposes our and have experience fullyyet unthe to be authoritatively names derstanding of Super limitless Vision of four vision. the has defined. well-known object four The distinct artist Art, of our as Los explores always, visual sections, Angeles analysis. offers theeach streets expressive a But exploring space on what for an qualities are reflecaimage theof tiona and of limits light particular snow-covered and of adialogue, space. aspect vision Looking without of and mountain contemporary thelimits? atartists New peak. in Light, visuality: Super Thiswejuxtaposition Vision discover Activated provide that Vision, ofeviwhat two dence very we Disembodied are distinct and seeing material systems Vision, is notofan Global of theobject, visual dramatic Positioning, representation—one but shift an atmosphere. taking and Pleasure/Threat. place in recalling the early twenty-firstthey traditional Together, nineteenth-century century. create Asayou dialogue leave landscape concerning the exhibition, painting, a profound takethe a look other and at Albert Oehlen’s evoking Before pervasive moving global change forward, positioning Dose, in our and notice society. remember, system Josiah By (GPS) exploring McElheny’s you’retechnology—shows being ournever-ending experience watched. how mirrored of sight, complexly the universe, possibilities layered horizonless our of vision representation and unconstrained deprived of ofhuman and byrelations biology, presence. to space He the almost cultural havemagically changes become.eliminates caused bythe thisone revolution, thing youand would the expect artists’ to see whentoyou responses these lookchanges, into a mirror: Superyourself. Vision invites In this new, you to visual take a world, where closer look atthe today’s relationship visual world. between sight and body has been altered, it is no longer clear where we stand. Emma Fernandez Education & Interpretation Specialist
Gallery Guide
Boston. It is the turn of the year 2007. You enter the new ICA building, unaware that you are being watched by discreetly placed cameras. The space feels somehow different from other buildings you’ve visited before. Calculated architectural openings reveal the city and waterscapes in new, unexpected ways. The framing of these views provides a kind of mediation, guiding your eyes back and forth between detail and vista. This mediation of vision and perception has been a key theme for the architects of the new ICA, Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R), throughout their career. Whether it is the overt use of surveillance technology or the creation of a building that seems to disappear in a mist of fog, DS+R have consistently explored ways that architecture can activate vision, and how vision affects our perception of physical space. Today, our visual realm is significantly different from that of even 100 years ago—not the biology of sight, but its cultural context. The ICA’s inaugural exhibition, Super Vision, brings together the work of 27 international artists in an open examination of contemporary visuality—that is to say, not only what we are able to see, but also the social and conceptual framework through which we see. These artists take on our contemporary experience of vision, finding it at once pleasurable but also threatening, ubiquitous, and intimate. Their approaches are diverse both in form and in technique, and while some of them take advantage of the new technologies available, others work with media that are more familiar. Super Vision has four distinct sections, each exploring a particular aspect of contemporary visuality: Activated Vision, Disembodied Vision, Global Positioning, and Pleasure/Threat. Together, they create a dialogue concerning a profound and pervasive change in our society. By exploring our experience of sight, the possibilities of vision unconstrained by biology, the cultural changes caused by this revolution, and the artists’ responses to these changes, Super Vision invites you to take a closer look at today’s visual world. Emma Fernandez Education & Interpretation Specialist
ACI wen eht retne uoY .7002 raey eht fo nrut eht si tI .notsoB ylteercsid yb dehctaw gnieb era uoy taht erawanu ,gnidliub morf tnereffid wohemos sleef ecaps ehT .saremac decalp larutcetihcra detaluclaC .erofeb detisiv ev’uoy sgnidliub rehto detcepxenu ,wen ni sepacsretaw dna ytic eht laever sgninepo ,noitaidem fo dnik a sedivorp sweiv eseht fo gnimarf ehT .syaw sihT .atsiv dna liated neewteb htrof dna kcab seye ruoy gnidiug rof emeht yek a neeb sah noitpecrep dna noisiv fo noitaidem , )R+SD( orfneR + oidfiocS relliD , ACI wen eht fo stcetihcra eht -lievrus fo esu trevo eht si ti rehtehW .reerac rieht tuohguorht ot smees taht gnidliub a fo noitaerc eht ro ygolonhcet ecnal derolpxe yltnetsisnoc evah R+SD ,gof fo tsim a ni raeppasid -fa noisiv woh dna ,noisiv etavitca nac erutcetihcra taht syaw .ecaps lacisyhp fo noitpecrep ruo stcef fo taht morf tnereffid yltnacfiingis si mlaer lausiv ruo ,yadoT larutluc sti tub ,thgis fo ygoloib eht ton—oga sraey 001 neve sgnirb ,noisiV repuS ,noitibihxe laruguani s’ACI ehT .txetnoc -imaxe nepo na ni stsitra lanoitanretni 72 fo krow eht rehtegot tahw ylno ton ,yas ot si taht—ytilausiv yraropmetnoc fo noitan -emarf lautpecnoc dna laicos eht osla tub ,ees ot elba era ew -metnoc ruo no ekat stsitra esehT .ees ew hcihw hguorht krow tub elbarusaelp ecno ta ti gnidnfi ,noisiv fo ecneirepxe yrarop era sehcaorppa riehT .etamitni dna ,suotiuqibu ,gninetaerht osla meht fo emos elihw dna ,euqinhcet ni dna mrof ni htob esrevid krow srehto ,elbaliava seigolonhcet wen eht fo egatnavda ekat .railimaf erom era taht aidem htiw a gnirolpxe hcae ,snoitces tcnitsid ruof sah noisiV repuS ,noisiV detavitcA :ytilausiv yraropmetnoc fo tcepsa ralucitrap .taerhT/erusaelP dna ,gninoitisoP labolG ,noisiV deidobmesiD dna dnuoforp a gninrecnoc eugolaid a etaerc yeht ,rehtegoT ecneirepxe ruo gnirolpxe yB .yteicos ruo ni egnahc evisavrep ,ygoloib yb deniartsnocnu noisiv fo seitilibissop eht ,thgis fo ’stsitra eht dna ,noitulover siht yb desuac segnahc larutluc eht a ekat ot uoy setivni noisiV repuS ,segnahc eseht ot sesnopser .dlrow lausiv s’yadot ta kool resolc zednanreF ammE tsilaicepS noitaterpretnI & noitacudE
A historic shift in the nature of visuality occurred in the fifteenth century, when the representation of linear perspective was first articulated, based on the presumption that the world is observable from a single and fixed point of view. In Super Vision, the works invite multiple and dynamic points of view, not fully revealing themselves from a unique and static viewing location. Sculptures by Tony Cragg and Anish Kapoor appear as continuously morphing shapes that demand a physical engagement while activating our sight in new and often pleasing ways. As science and technology have made visible different kinds of structures and worlds, from subatomic particles to distant galaxies, our traditional understanding of the natural world has undergone a significant transformation. Many contemporary artists have absorbed these new visions of our world, which are now reflected in their art. Paintings, sculptures, photographs, and installations compress and expand, blur and focus, fragment and multiply, advance and recede, twist and redirect. In Bridget Riley’s 1962 painting Pause, the dotted surface, once understood as pure abstraction and optical illusion, can now be perceived as reminiscent of a computer’s virtual screen space—depthless, pixelated, morphing. Vision is dependent on time and space; the way we see this painting is affected by our cultural context. The drive to see more, whether into infinity or the realm of the invisible, is a recurring theme in Super Vision. Through his installation of pure light, James Turrell expands our experience of limitless vision. The artist explores the expressive qualities of light and space. Looking at New Light, we discover that what we are seeing is not an object, but an atmosphere. Before moving forward, notice Josiah McElheny’s never-ending mirrored universe, horizonless and deprived of human presence. He almost magically eliminates the one thing you would expect to see when you look into a mirror: yourself. In this new, visual world, where the relationship between sight and body has been altered, it is no longer clear where we stand.
-ffi eht ni derrucco ytilausiv fo erutan eht ni tfihs cirotsih A evitcepsrep raenil fo noitatneserper eht nehw ,yrutnec htneet dlrow eht taht noitpmuserp eht no desab ,detalucitra tsrfi saw repuS nI .weiv fo tniop dexfi dna elgnis a morf elbavresbo si ton ,weiv fo stniop cimanyd dna elpitlum etivni skrow eht ,noisiV -ol gniweiv citats dna euqinu a morf sevlesmeht gnilaever ylluf sa raeppa roopaK hsinA dna ggarC ynoT yb serutplucS .noitac -egagne lacisyhp a dnamed taht sepahs gnihprom ylsuounitnoc .syaw gnisaelp netfo dna wen ni thgis ruo gnitavitca elihw tnem sdnik tnereffid elbisiv edam evah ygolonhcet dna ecneics sA tnatsid ot selcitrap cimotabus morf ,sdlrow dna serutcurts fo sah dlrow larutan eht fo gnidnatsrednu lanoitidart ruo ,seixalag yraropmetnoc ynaM .noitamrofsnart tnacfiingis a enogrednu era hcihw ,dlrow ruo fo snoisiv wen eseht debrosba evah stsitra ,shpargotohp ,serutplucs ,sgnitniaP .tra rieht ni detcefler won -garf ,sucof dna rulb ,dnapxe dna sserpmoc snoitallatsni dna nI .tcerider dna tsiwt ,edecer dna ecnavda ,ylpitlum dna tnem ecno ,ecafrus dettod eht ,esuaP gnitniap 2691 s’yeliR tegdirB won nac ,noisulli lacitpo dna noitcartsba erup sa dootsrednu neercs lautriv s’retupmoc a fo tnecsinimer sa deviecrep eb no tnedneped si noisiV .gnihprom ,detalexip ,sselhtped—ecaps ruo yb detceffa si gnitniap siht ees ew yaw eht ;ecaps dna emit .txetnoc larutluc eht fo mlaer eht ro ytinfini otni rehtehw ,erom ees ot evird ehT -ni sih hguorhT .noisiV repuS ni emeht gnirrucer a si ,elbisivni ecneirepxe ruo sdnapxe llerruT semaJ ,thgil erup fo noitallats fo seitilauq evisserpxe eht serolpxe tsitra ehT .noisiv sseltimil fo tahw taht revocsid ew ,thgiL weN ta gnikooL .ecaps dna thgil .erehpsomta na tub ,tcejbo na ton si gniees era ew gnidne-reven s’ynehlEcM haisoJ eciton ,drawrof gnivom erofeB .ecneserp namuh fo devirped dna sselnoziroh ,esrevinu derorrim tcepxe dluow uoy gniht eno eht setanimile yllacigam tsomla eH lausiv ,wen siht nI .flesruoy :rorrim a otni kool uoy nehw ees ot neeb sah ydob dna thgis neewteb pihsnoitaler eht erehw ,dlrow .dnats ew erehw raelc regnol on si ti ,deretla
New visual technologies, from nanotechnology to satellite vision, have played a fundamental role in the expansion of human sight. While these have offered dramatic advances in our knowledge of the world, they also have resulted in severing the connection between vision and body. The contemporary experience of vision, freed and unconstrained from its biological roots, has profound implications for advanced science and global politics, as well as our everyday lives. Mona Hatoum dramatically explores some of the consequences of disembodied vision in her video installation Corps étranger. The artist surrenders her own body to the scrutiny of a camera in the ultimate invasion of personal privacy—the video and accompanying soundtrack for this piece were made with the assistance of a doctor using an endoscopic camera to explore the orifices, cavities, and internal organs of the artist’s body. In a different way, filmmaker Harun Farocki reflects on the new relationship between technology, sight, and the individual as expressed in current military and commercial applications. In Eye/Machine, the artist uses preexisting footage from industrial and military training reels, the 1991 Gulf War, surveillance images, and television clips. His subtitles suggest the consequences of machine vision: the human scale was missing … the machines perform the task blindly … images without social intent, not for reflection. The ability to see provides a sense of empowerment—the possibility of controlling and fully understanding the object of our visual analysis. But what are the limits of a vision without limits?
-iv etilletas ot ygolonhcetonan morf ,seigolonhcet lausiv weN -uh fo noisnapxe eht ni elor latnemadnuf a deyalp evah ,nois ruo ni secnavda citamard dereffo evah eseht elihW .thgis nam gnireves ni detluser evah osla yeht ,dlrow eht fo egdelwonk yraropmetnoc ehT .ydob dna noisiv neewteb noitcennoc eht -igoloib sti morf deniartsnocnu dna deerf ,noisiv fo ecneirepxe dna ecneics decnavda rof snoitacilpmi dnuoforp sah ,stoor lac .sevil yadyreve ruo sa llew sa ,scitilop labolg -esnoc eht fo emos serolpxe yllacitamard muotaH anoM sproC noitallatsni oediv reh ni noisiv deidobmesid fo secneuq yniturcs eht ot ydob nwo reh srednerrus tsitra ehT .regnarté eht—ycavirp lanosrep fo noisavni etamitlu eht ni aremac a fo edam erew eceip siht rof kcartdnuos gniynapmocca dna oediv aremac cipocsodne na gnisu rotcod a fo ecnatsissa eht htiw eht fo snagro lanretni dna ,seitivac ,secfiiro eht erolpxe ot .ydob s’tsitra wen eht no stcefler ikcoraF nuraH rekammlfi ,yaw tnereffid a nI sa laudividni eht dna ,thgis ,ygolonhcet neewteb pihsnoitaler nI .snoitacilppa laicremmoc dna yratilim tnerruc ni desserpxe -sudni morf egatoof gnitsixeerp sesu tsitra eht ,enihcaM/eyE ecnallievrus ,raW fluG 1991 eht ,sleer gniniart yratilim dna lairt -esnoc eht tseggus seltitbus siH .spilc noisivelet dna ,segami … gnissim saw elacs namuh eht :noisiv enihcam fo secneuq laicos tuohtiw segami … yldnilb ksat eht mrofrep senihcam eht esnes a sedivorp ees ot ytiliba ehT .noitcefler rof ton ,tnetni -nu ylluf dna gnillortnoc fo ytilibissop eht—tnemrewopme fo eht era tahw tuB .sisylana lausiv ruo fo tcejbo eht gnidnatsred ?stimil tuohtiw noisiv a fo stimil
Displaced and off-center, disembodied and dehumanized, contemporary vision has redefined the way we see our world and perceive our place in it. It is roughly forty years since the Apollo 8 astronauts returned from their mission with the first photographs of Earth taken from outer space. Earthrise shows our planet as it had never been seen—beautiful, yes, but also vulnerable, and relatively small within the vastness of the universe. From the premodern camera obscura to the modern digital camera, photography has transformed our understanding of the world; but that was just the beginning: the Internet, satellite navigation systems, web cams, cell phone cameras, and much more are now part of our everyday life. In a world where it seems all representations are in some way mediated, do we need Yoko Ono’s Sky TV to remind us of the beauty of the sky? Or is the sky beautiful because it is on TV? Contemporary vision technologies present a high-definition image of our world, yet it somehow feels unreal—flat, cropped, decontextualized, too close to grasp, too far to relate to. In this room, paintings by Jack Goldstein, Gerhard Richter, and Sigmar Polke reference photography’s ability to show and transform the visible, whether in the macro vision of sky observatories and Google Earth or the micro vision of molecular science. Our new visual knowledge of the world requires different ways of mapping and navigating the Earth. In La Brea, Sunset, Orange, De Longpre, Ed Ruscha superimposes the names of four well-known Los Angeles streets on an image of a snow-covered mountain peak. This juxtaposition of two very distinct systems of visual representation—one recalling traditional nineteenth-century landscape painting, the other evoking global positioning system (GPS) technology—shows how complexly layered our representation of and relations to space have become.
-noc ,dezinamuhed dna deidobmesid ,retnec-ffo dna decalpsiD dna dlrow ruo ees ew yaw eht denfieder sah noisiv yraropmet 8 ollopA eht ecnis sraey ytrof ylhguor si tI .ti ni ecalp ruo eviecrep shpargotohp tsrfi eht htiw noissim rieht morf denruter stuanortsa sa tenalp ruo swohs esirhtraE .ecaps retuo morf nekat htraE fo dna ,elbarenluv osla tub ,sey ,lufituaeb—nees neeb reven dah ti .esrevinu eht fo ssentsav eht nihtiw llams ylevitaler latigid nredom eht ot arucsbo aremac nredomerp eht morF fo gnidnatsrednu ruo demrofsnart sah yhpargotohp ,aremac -letas ,tenretnI eht :gninnigeb eht tsuj saw taht tub ;dlrow eht dna ,saremac enohp llec ,smac bew ,smetsys noitagivan etil erehw dlrow a nI .efil yadyreve ruo fo trap won era erom hcum ew od ,detaidem yaw emos ni era snoitatneserper lla smees ti ?yks eht fo ytuaeb eht fo su dnimer ot VT ykS s’onO okoY deen ?VT no si ti esuaceb lufituaeb yks eht si rO noitinfied-hgih a tneserp seigolonhcet noisiv yraropmetnoC ,depporc ,tafl—laernu sleef wohemos ti tey ,dlrow ruo fo egami siht nI .ot etaler ot raf oot ,psarg ot esolc oot ,dezilautxetnoced ramgiS dna ,rethciR drahreG ,nietsdloG kcaJ yb sgnitniap ,moor mrofsnart dna wohs ot ytiliba s’yhpargotohp ecnerefer ekloP seirotavresbo yks fo noisiv orcam eht ni rehtehw ,elbisiv eht .ecneics ralucelom fo noisiv orcim eht ro htraE elgooG dna -reffid seriuqer dlrow eht fo egdelwonk lausiv wen ruO ,aerB aL nI .htraE eht gnitagivan dna gnippam fo syaw tne eht sesopmirepus ahcsuR dE ,erpgnoL eD ,egnarO ,tesnuS egami na no steerts selegnA soL nwonk-llew ruof fo seman owt fo noitisopatxuj sihT .kaep niatnuom derevoc-wons a fo gnillacer eno—noitatneserper lausiv fo smetsys tcnitsid yrev rehto eht ,gnitniap epacsdnal yrutnec-htneetenin lanoitidart swohs—ygolonhcet )SPG( metsys gninoitisop labolg gnikove ot snoitaler dna fo noitatneserper ruo dereyal ylxelpmoc woh .emoceb evah ecaps
The social and cultural ramifications of contemporary visuality remain largely unknown. We have expanded both what we can see and the ways in which we see. The mediated quality of vision today refers not only to the technology used to create imagery, but also the contexts in which images are used and perceived. As we become familiar with depictions of our world that are not reliant on single-point perspective, the possibilities are both thrilling and daunting. Sigmar Polke’s exquisite and textured painting reminds us of the importance of context or lack thereof. The artist has magnified the original subject of the image to the point of disintegration, where we no longer know what we are seeing. Several artworks in this room touch upon the multilayered aspect of today’s superhuman vision. Jeff Koons invokes the fantasy worlds of superheroes, superpowers, and supermodels all at once. Photoshop, the popular software created by Adobe, plays a huge role in the creation of this seemingly fluid image, a visual metaphor of our image-saturated culture, both overwhelming and exhilarating at the same time. A similar visual explosion takes place in Julie Mehretu’s Dispersion, where several layers of ink and acrylic paint, still visible on the surface, are compressed together to create a breathtaking landscape of color, fire, and smoke. Loosely inspired by the attacks of September 11, Mehretu’s work captures a vision of contemporary destruction—chaotic, fragmented, and spectacular. The nature and essence of contemporary visuality have yet to be authoritatively defined. Art, as always, offers a space for reflection and dialogue, and the artists in Super Vision provide evidence and material of the dramatic shift taking place in the early twenty-first century. As you leave the exhibition, take a look at Albert Oehlen’s Dose, and remember, you’re being watched.
Related programs -lausiv yraropmetnoc fo snoitacfiimar larutluc dna laicos ehT ew tahw htob dednapxe evah eW .nwonknu ylegral niamer yti ytilauq detaidem ehT .ees ew hcihw ni syaw eht dna ees nac etaerc ot desu ygolonhcet eht ot ylno ton srefer yadot noisiv fo dna desu era segami hcihw ni stxetnoc eht osla tub ,yregami dlrow ruo fo snoitciped htiw railimaf emoceb ew sA .deviecrep seitilibissop eht ,evitcepsrep tniop-elgnis no tnailer ton era taht dna etisiuqxe s’ekloP ramgiS .gnitnuad dna gnillirht htob era ro txetnoc fo ecnatropmi eht fo su sdnimer gnitniap derutxet eht fo tcejbus lanigiro eht defiingam sah tsitra ehT .foereht kcal wonk regnol on ew erehw ,noitargetnisid fo tniop eht ot egami .gniees era ew tahw dereyalitlum eht nopu hcuot moor siht ni skrowtra lareveS eht sekovni snooK ffeJ .noisiv namuhrepus s’yadot fo tcepsa sledomrepus dna ,srewoprepus ,seorehrepus fo sdlrow ysatnaf ,ebodA yb detaerc erawtfos ralupop eht ,pohsotohP .ecno ta lla ,egami diufl ylgnimees siht fo noitaerc eht ni elor eguh a syalp -revo htob ,erutluc detarutas-egami ruo fo rohpatem lausiv a lausiv ralimis A .emit emas eht ta gnitaralihxe dna gnimlehw erehw ,noisrepsiD s’uterheM eiluJ ni ecalp sekat noisolpxe ,ecafrus eht no elbisiv llits ,tniap cilyrca dna kni fo sreyal lareves epacsdnal gnikathtaerb a etaerc ot rehtegot desserpmoc era fo skcatta eht yb deripsni ylesooL .ekoms dna ,erfi ,roloc fo -opmetnoc fo noisiv a serutpac krow s’uterheM ,11 rebmetpeS .ralucatceps dna ,detnemgarf ,citoahc—noitcurtsed yrar eb ot tey evah ytilausiv yraropmetnoc fo ecnesse dna erutan ehT -cefler rof ecaps a sreffo ,syawla sa ,trA .denfied ylevitatirohtua Vision has been -ive edivorp noisiV repuS ni stsitra eht dnMajor a ,eugofunding laid dnafor noSuper it ylrae eht ni ecalp gnikat tfihs citamard eht fo provided lairetam dby naThe ecnAndy ed Warhol Foundation ta kool a ekat ,noitibihxe eht evael uoy sA .for yrutthe necVisual tsrfi-yArts, tnewtwith additional support donnés: .dehctaw gnieb er’uoy ,rebmemer dna ,esfrom oD s’Etant nelheO treblA The French-American Fund for Contemporary Art, a program of FACE, and The Cultural Services of the French Embassy.
MINIST»RE DES AFFAIRES …TRANG»RES
Super Vision Film Series
What New Is
From futuristic tales of perilous technology to stunning, surreal imagery, these films bring “super vision” to the big screen, demonstrating the gripping power of the medium.
A celebrity speaker series presenting the most creative thinkers, artists, authors, and performers—the pacesetters of contemporary culture.
Tickets: $9 general admission; $7 members, seniors, and students. Videodrome by David Cronenberg Friday, January 5, 7 pm The Matrix by Andy and Larry Wachowski Thursday, January 18, 7 pm Being John Malkovich by Spike Jonze Friday, January 19, 7 pm Superman by Richard Donner Sunday, January 21, 3 pm Cremaster 5 by Matthew Barney Sunday, January 21, 7 pm
Tickets: $25 general admission; $20 members, seniors, and students. What New Is is sponsored by Fiduciary Trust Company..
Diller Scofidio + Renfro, “Unimpaired Vision” Hear the architects’ perspective on realizing the design for the ICA. Wednesday, January 17, 6:30 pm
Uncover Thursdays
Drop in for one of these free programs held in the galleries on selected Target Free Thursday Nights, and let a diverse array of speakers help you see things differently. Admission is free. Curator’s Talk: Nicholas Baume leads a tour of Super Vision Thursday, February 1, 6:30 pm Seen/Unseen with Aude Oliva, cognitive neuroscientist at MIT, and Dan Buchner, Vice President of Innovation and Design at Design Continuum Thursday, March 1, 6:30 pm
Free Public Tours
The ICA offers public tours of Super Vision and the ICA’s new museum on Target Free Thursday Nights at 6 pm and each Saturday and Sunday at 2 pm. Tours are free with museum admission and leave from the lobby.
in the ica store Super Vision catalogue Super Vision is accompanied by a 208page, full-color catalogue featuring essays by curator Nicholas Baume, art historian David Joselit, and McKenzie Wark, author of A Hacker Manifesto.
For Families
Play Date: Sightseeing at the ICA Saturday, March 31, 10 am – 4 pm Take an Absolute Vision tour of the ICA, visit Super Vision with Underground Railway Theater, and take in a matinee by Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal. Free for adults accompanied by children 12 and under. Free Family Guide Pick one up at the front desk and explore contemporary art together. Appropriate for children ages 6–12 or younger children with adult assistance.
Super Vision Audio Tour
Go deep inside the exhibition with this audio tour. Rent an iPod with the Super Vision audio tour from the ICA admissions desk or download it to your own player from our website.
Music Overheard An audio response to Super Vision, Music Overheard is an anthology compiled by Boston-based musicians Damon Krukowski, Bhob Rainey, and Kenneth Goldsmith. Buy it in the ICA Store or download it as part of the Super Vision audio tour at www.icaboston.org.
General information Museum, Store & Cafe Hours
Accessibility
Tuesday and Wednesday 10 am – 5 pm Thursday and Friday 10 am – 9 pm Saturday and Sunday 10 am – 5 pm
The ICA is fully wheelchair and stroller accessible. contact
Closed Monday, except on the following national holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day. Admission
General Information 617-478-3100 Visitor Information 617-478-3101 Membership 617-478-3102 Box Office 617-478-3103 Web www.icaboston.org E-mail info@icaboston.org
$12 general admission $10 students and seniors FREE members and children 17 and under FREE after 5 pm on Target Free Thursday Nights FREE families (adults accompanied by children 12 and under) on the last Saturday of each month
The ICA is located at 100 Northern Avenue in Boston. It is a short walk from downtown and easily accessible by public transportation. There is also ample, affordable parking in the area.
Target Free Thursday Nights are sponsored by Target.
The ICA’s public programs are supported in part by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Directions
Via public transportation: From South Station, take the MBTA Silver Line to Courthouse Station. Exit the station onto Seaport Boulevard and follow it (walking away from downtown) to the first intersection. Take a left onto Northern Avenue. The ICA is located at 100 Northern Avenue. By car: The ICA is easily accessible from both I-90 and I-93. Please visit www.icaboston.org for detailed driving directions.
the institute of contemporary art/bos ton
100 Northern Avenue Boston, MA 02210