William Kentridge: Art from the Ashes
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- Event has passed (Sat Mar 14, 2009 - Sat May 30, 2009)
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Description
William Kentridge, artistCombining the political with the poetic, William Kentridge's work has made an indelible mark on the contemporary art scene. Dealing with subjects as sobering as apartheid and colonialism, Kentridge often imbues his art with dreamy, lyrical undertones or comedic bits of self-deprecation, making his powerful messages both alluring and ambivalent. Perhaps best known for his stop-motion films of charcoal drawings, the internationally renowned South African artist also works in etching, collage, sculpture, and the performing arts, opera in particular. This exhibition explores five primary themes that have engaged Kentridge over the last three decades through a comprehensive selection of his work from the 1980s to the present. Concentrating on his most recent production and including many pieces that have not been seen in the United States, the exhibition reveals as never before the full arc of his distinguished career. Acknowledging the profound significance of the theater in Kentridge's work, SFMOMA will present his restaging of Monteverdi's opera The Return of Ulysses in conjunction with the exhibition.
Mar 14, Phyllis Wattis Theater 4:00 p.m.
In a special opening-day event for William Kentridge: Five Themes, the artist presents a lecture-format solo performance. I am not me, the horse is not mine premiered at the 16th Biennale of Sydney in June 2008 (and shares a title with a related projection making its U.S. debut in SFMOMA's Kentridge exhibition). The performance focuses on the development process of Kentridge's upcoming opera production, The Nose, for the Metropolitan Opera in New York. A book signing follows.
Mar 14 Haas Atrium 5:00 p.m.
Rich in content and illustration, William Kentridge: Five Themes chronicles the full arc of Kentridge's career, with special emphasis on recent work. His films, drawings, prints, sculptures, and theatrical productions are represented in 239 color plates. Essays by the artist himself along with art historians and curators Michael Auping, Cornelia Butler, Judith Hecker, Klaus Biesenbach, Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, Rudolf Frieling, and Mark Rosenthal illuminate Kentridge's work. An accompanying DVD created by the artist combines intimate studio footage with fragments from significant film projects, offering a fascinating look at how his ideas evolve from raw concept to finished work.
Free and open to the public.
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