The Paradox of Stillness: Art, Object, and Performance
Presenting works from the early 20th century to today, The Paradox of Stillness: Art, Object, and Performance examines the notion of stillness as both a performative and visual gesture. This major Walker-organized exhibition features pieces by an international roster of artists testing the boundaries between stillness and motion, mortality and aliveness, the still life and the living picture.
Stillness and permanence are common qualities of painting and sculpture. Consider, for example, the frozen gestures of a historical tableau, the timelessness of a still life painting, or the unyielding bronze or marble figure. Translating these traditional mediums into actions, artists use performance to investigate the interplay between the fixed image and the live body.
The Paradox of Stillness showcases more than 100 works by some 60 artists, including up to 15 live performances activated in the Walker’s galleries or public spaces at intervals throughout the presentation. Works on view range from object-based art and pictures that subtly come to life or shift outside the frame to actions staged by live performers that slowly unfold or unexpectedly reappear. Across the exhibition, puppets and automatons dance through space, while burning candles and rotting fruit mark time’s passing.
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Presenting works from the early 20th century to today, The Paradox of Stillness: Art, Object, and Performance examines the notion of stillness as both a performative and visual gesture. This major Walker-organized exhibition features pieces by an international roster of artists testing the boundaries between stillness and motion, mortality and aliveness, the still life and the living picture.
Stillness and permanence are common qualities of painting and sculpture. Consider, for example, the frozen gestures of a historical tableau, the timelessness of a still life painting, or the unyielding bronze or marble figure. Translating these traditional mediums into actions, artists use performance to investigate the interplay between the fixed image and the live body.
The Paradox of Stillness showcases more than 100 works by some 60 artists, including up to 15 live performances activated in the Walker’s galleries or public spaces at intervals throughout the presentation. Works on view range from object-based art and pictures that subtly come to life or shift outside the frame to actions staged by live performers that slowly unfold or unexpectedly reappear. Across the exhibition, puppets and automatons dance through space, while burning candles and rotting fruit mark time’s passing.
Artists on show
- Anne Imhof
- Anri Sala
- Anthea Hamilton
- Avery Singer
- Cally Spooner
- Charles Ray
- Cindy Sherman
- David Hammons
- David Lamelas
- Dennis Oppenheim
- Elliot Caplan
- Fabio Mauri
- Felix González-Torres
- Fernand Léger
- Fortunato Depero
- Francesco Arena
- Franco Vaccari
- Franz Erhard Walther
- Franz West
- Gilbert & George
- Giorgio de Chirico
- Goshka Macuga
- Haegue Yang
- Hermann Dudley Murphy
- Joan Jonas
- Jordan Wolfson
- Kurt Schmidt
- Lara Favaretto
- Larry Bell
- Laurie Simmons
- Maria Hassabi
- Marina Abramović
- Maruja Mallo
- Merce Cunningham
- Michelangelo Pistoletto
- Oskar Schlemmer
- Paul Chan
- Paul Kos
- Paulina Olowska
- Philip Haas
- Pier Paolo Calzolari
- Pier Paolo Pasolini
- Piero Manzoni
- Pierre Huyghe
- Pietro Roccasalva
- Robert Breer
- Robert Morris
- Roman Ondak
- Roman Signer
- Senga Nengudi
- Simone Forti
- Sophie Taeuber-Arp
- T. Lux Feininger
- Trisha Brown
- Urs Fischer
- Valie Export
- Vanessa Beecroft
- William Pope.L
- Xanti Schawinsky
- Yves Klein
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