Kiki Smith River Light
July 15 – November 9, 2020
Kiki Smith River Light, a solo exhibition of outdoor works, marks the artist’s first presentation of flags—a new element within her expansive production—in the United States. For this exhibition Kiki Smith has created a new collection of flags whose unpredictable, ever-changing movements mimic the ebb and flow of water in a river. Installed on Storm King’s Museum Hill with long views of Storm King Mountain and the Hudson Highlands, the flags present an ephemeral installation that is activated by the natural world around it.
Smith has long considered nature in her wide-ranging artistic practice, and her flags ripple out from ideas of printmaking, photography, as well as interests in space, spectacle and pageantry. Arranged in a circular procession, the images in the nine brilliant blue flags of river light result from a film the artist created in 2005 of glints of sunlight on the East River, along which she used to walk to the 23rd street public pool. The standalone flag of hudson river addresses the Hudson Valley, highlighting Storm King’s shifting landscape through fluctuations in wind, weather, and light.
Kiki Smith: River Light is made possible by generous lead support from the Ohnell Charitable Lead Trust and the Samuel Freeman Charitable Trust. Support is also provided by Roberta and Steven Denning and the Hazen Polsky Foundation. Additional support is provided by Janet Inskeep Benton. Artist Talks are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
Smith has long considered nature in her wide-ranging artistic practice, and her flags ripple out from ideas of printmaking, photography, as well as interests in space, spectacle and pageantry. Arranged in a circular procession, the images in the nine brilliant blue flags of river light result from a film the artist created in 2005 of glints of sunlight on the East River, along which she used to walk to the 23rd street public pool. The standalone flag of hudson river addresses the Hudson Valley, highlighting Storm King’s shifting landscape through fluctuations in wind, weather, and light.
Kiki Smith: River Light is made possible by generous lead support from the Ohnell Charitable Lead Trust and the Samuel Freeman Charitable Trust. Support is also provided by Roberta and Steven Denning and the Hazen Polsky Foundation. Additional support is provided by Janet Inskeep Benton. Artist Talks are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
