Hood Quarterly, summer 2004
The Hood will conclude its year-long exploration of contemporary art in the fall with Beyond East and West: Seven Transnational Artists. This traveling exhibition, organized by the Krannert Art Museum at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, displays new work by seven important contemporary artist with an intimate knowledge both of a so-called “East” (the Middle East and North Africa) from whence they come and a “West” (Europe and America) where they primarily live and work. Their own lives have been hybrid and multicultural, incorporating the experiences of emigration, exile, or diaspora, and their art explores identity in sophisticated, timely, and engaged ways. Some of the artists are involved in a critical reappraisal of longstanding Orientalist images, or of contemporary representations of political and religious subjects in the Western media. Others use their art to cross cultural boundaries and explore their experience of multiple homelands and cultures. But beyond simply disrupting Western stereotypes and discourses, they address themselves to the issues raised by competing cultural allegiances. On view from October 9 to December 12, the exhibition will feature the work of Ghada Amer, Yasmina Bouziane, Mona Hatoum, Y. Z. Kami, Shirin Neshat, Walid Ra’ad, and Michal Rovner. Look for an in-depth feature in the next issue of the Hood Quarterly.
Take a seat!
Throughout 2004, as part of New Art Now, the Hood galleries feature a comfortable seating area generously provided by Pompanoosuc Mills. The shelves are stocked with new art periodicals and publications from around the world. We hope this enhances your contemporary art experience in our galleries.