"PERFORMANCE" ('09) by Terence Koh and AA Bronson for "Compassion" at the Institute for Art, Religion, and Social Justice, NYC

Terence Koh and AA Bronson
"PERFORMANCE" (2009)
Statement on card, 10 x 8 inches
Courtesy of the artists, New York

"PERFORMANCE:

Two white doves are released into the
Refectory at Union Theological
Seminary. They fly up into the rafters,
where they disappear. The students
claim that they have made themselves a
nest, and perhaps even laid eggs.
Occasionally they can be heard cooing
sadly overhead."

COMPASSION
Union Theological Seminary
Broadway at 121st Street
New York, NY

The Institute of Art, Religion, and Social Justice recently held its first exhibition, Compassion, from November 19, 2009 to January 14, 2010.

In today's shifting political, economic, and ecological landscape, the need for compassion has never been greater, compassion understood as mutual interdependence, knowledge of self and others, and concern for human flourishing. This kind of compassion requires seeking to know all aspects of human reality, being open to truths beyond our everyday experience and embedded in it. Artists often awaken compassion most profoundly. They form our imaginations such that we can envision our interconnectedness in ways that mere didacticism cannot achieve.

Compassion used the buildings of Union Theological Seminary to create a kind of pilgrimage. The works were situated in various locations to create a tour of this remarkable and often overlooked historic complex.

Alfredo Jaar's Embrace (1995), from his Rwanda series, greeted the visitor in the Hastings lobby. Scott Treleaven was featured in the James Chapel with black and white photos from Cimitero Monumentale (2009). Marina Abramovic's video 8 Lessons on Emptiness with a Happy End (2008) shared the Narthex with Yoko Ono's Whisper Piece (2001). Terence Koh's invisible installation was located in the Refectory, with its 40-foot ceiling and massive stone fireplace, nearby. If the visitor strayed to the other end of the building, she might have found Bas Jan Ader's iconic image I'm too sad to tell you in the Burke Library, echoed in the plaintive chant of Michael Bühler-Rose's liquid ritual I'll Worship You and You'll Worship Me (2009), which could be found in the upper reaches of the Rotunda. Chrysanne Stathacos' Rose Mandala Mirror (three reflections for HHDL), also in the Rotunda, was originally created in honor of the Dalai Lama. While circumnavigating the cloisters that link the various spaces of the seminary, further works by Gareth Long and Paul Mpagi Sepuya could be found.

The Institute of Art, Religion, and Social Justice was founded under the auspices of Union Theological Seminary to explore the relationship between contemporary art and religion through the lens of social justice.

Compassion was curated by AA Bronson, Artistic Director of the Institute.

The exhibition is presented in conjunction with Karen Armstrong's TED Prize 2009 of the same name.

For further information contact Kathryn Reklis, Executive Director of the Institute, at 212.280.1404

Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York
3041 Broadway at 121st Street, New York, NY 10027
www.utsnyc.edu

Taken in: United States / New York (show map)

Taken on: December 9, 2009

Tags:

Compassion

Art exhibition

PERFORMANCE (2009)

Terence Koh

AA Bronson

The Institue for Art, Religion, and Social Justice

Union Thelogical Seminary

Refectory

New York City

New York « less

Sets appears in: • "Compassion" at The Institute of Art, Religion, and Social Justice, November 19 - January 14, 2010

Camera: Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi, f/4.5, 1/10 sec, 36mm, ISO 1600 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi
Aperture:	f/4.5
Exposure Time:	0.1 sec (1/10)
Focal Length:	36mm
ISO:	1600
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Microsoft Windows Photo Gallery 6.0.6001.18000
Show full info

Stats: 923 views