National Gallery Of Art | Audio

Kobena Mercer, professor, history of art and African American studies, Yale University. Kobena Mercer’s art criticism has illuminated the aesthetic innovations of African American, Black British, and Caribbean artists. In his new book, Travel and See: Black Diaspora Art Practices Since the 1980s, he reflects on the transformative impact of artists such as Renée Green, Isaac Julien, Kerry James Marshall, and Yinka Shonibare. In this lecture, recorded on June 5, 2016 at the National Gallery of Art, Mercer discusses his publication and the future prospects of the critical discourse of hybridity and transculturation that diaspora artists have brought to debates on identity and diversity in our time.

Paul Jaskot, Andrew W. Mellon Professor, Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, National Gallery of Art. What do we learn when we explore Hans Haacke’s spatial choices for his site-specific works? An emphasis on their physical components and hence their spatial significance is well established in his practice. Perhaps nowhere is this clearer than in his 1993 entry for the German Pavilion at the Venice Bienniale, an installation he titled Germania. For Haacke, this particular German space, originally created in 1908 as the Bavarian Pavilion for the biennial art fair, had been made into a fascist place by Ernst Haiger’s 1938 remodeling, which in turn resonated for him in the moment of post-reunification Germany’s triumph over the Communist east. In this lecture, recorded on May 15, 2016, at the National Gallery of Art, Paul Jaskot discusses the dynamic relationship between the redesign of the pavilion in 1938 as a specifically German site and Haacke’s subsequent engagement in 1993.

David A. Doheny, former general counsel, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and author, David Finley: Quiet Force for America's Arts. In honor of the 75th anniversary of the National Gallery of Art, which opened in March 1941, David A. Doheny reassesses the work of its three principal creators—Andrew W. Mellon (1855–1937), David Finley (1890-1977), and Paul Mellon (1907-1999). Andrew Mellon provided its vision, the funds to build and endow it, and his superb art collection to act as a nucleus of a national gallery before his death. David Finley was his principal deputy in this enterprise from its conception in 1927 onward. Paul Mellon was appointed a trustee of the Gallery in 1937 and had a harmonious working relationship with Finley. After the deaths of both Andrew W. Mellon and his architect John Russell Pope within 24 hours of each other, Finley took charge of completing the design and construction of the West Building. Finley was also instrumental in securing important collections for the Gallery,

Leo Villareal, artist, in conversation with Molly Donovan, associate curator, department of modern art, National Gallery of Art. Born in 1967 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Leo Villareal began experimenting with light, sound, and video while studying set design and sculpture at Yale University, where he received his BA. He earned his Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in the design of new media, computational media, and embedded computing from New York University’s pioneering interactive telecommunications program at the Tisch School of the Arts. There he also learned the programming skills that enable him to push LED (light-emitting diode) technology far past familiar commercial applications. Since the 1960s, a growing number of artworks have exploited light to frame and create spaces in the built environment. While Villareal’s art acknowledges this influence, his concepts relate more closely to the instructional wall drawings of Sol LeWitt and the systems-based paintings of Peter Halley. Villareal’s work is

Susan Meiselas, artist. In 1990 the National Gallery of Art launched an initiative to acquire the finest examples of the art of photography and to mount photography exhibitions of the highest quality, accompanied by scholarly publications and programs. In the years since, the Gallery’s collection of photographs has grown to nearly 15,000 works encompassing the history of the medium from its beginnings in 1839 to the present, featuring in-depth holdings of work by many of the masters of the art form. Commemorating the 25th anniversary of this initiative, the Gallery presents the exhibition The Memory of Time: Contemporary Photographs at the National Gallery of Art, Acquired with the Alfred H. Moses and Fern M. Schad Fund. On view from May 3 through September 13, 2015, The Memory of Time explores the work of 26 contemporary artists who investigate the richness and complexity of photography’s relationship to time, memory, and history. In this lecture recorded on May 31, 2015, Susan Meiselas discusses the themes

Vidya Dehejia, Barbara Stoler Miller Professor of Indian Art, Columbia University. In this six-part lecture series entitled The Thief Who Stole My Heart: The Material Life of Chola Bronzes from South India, c. 855–1280, art historian Vidya Dehejia discusses the work of artists of Chola India who created exceptional bronzes of the god Shiva, invoked as “Thief Who Stole My Heart.” Graceful, luminous sculptures of high copper content portrayed the deities as sensuous figures of sacred import. Every bronze is a portable image, carried through temple and town to participate in celebrations that combined the sacred with the joyous atmosphere of carnival. In these lectures, Dehejia discusses the images as tangible objects that interact in a concrete way with human activities and socioeconomic practices. She asks questions of this body of material that have never been asked before, concerning the source of wealth that enabled the creation of bronzes, the origin of copper not available locally, the role of women patro

Vidya Dehejia, Barbara Stoler Miller Professor of Indian Art, Columbia University. In this six-part lecture series entitled The Thief Who Stole My Heart: The Material Life of Chola Bronzes from South India, c. 855–1280, art historian Vidya Dehejia discusses the work of artists of Chola India who created exceptional bronzes of the god Shiva, invoked as “Thief Who Stole My Heart.” Graceful, luminous sculptures of high copper content portrayed the deities as sensuous figures of sacred import. Every bronze is a portable image, carried through temple and town to participate in celebrations that combined the sacred with the joyous atmosphere of carnival. In these lectures, Dehejia discusses the images as tangible objects that interact in a concrete way with human activities and socioeconomic practices. She asks questions of this body of material that have never been asked before, concerning the source of wealth that enabled the creation of bronzes, the origin of copper not available locally, the role of women patro

Vidya Dehejia, Barbara Stoler Miller Professor of Indian Art, Columbia University. In this six-part lecture series entitled The Thief Who Stole My Heart: The Material Life of Chola Bronzes from South India, c. 855–1280, art historian Vidya Dehejia discusses the work of artists of Chola India who created exceptional bronzes of the god Shiva, invoked as “Thief Who Stole My Heart.” Graceful, luminous sculptures of high copper content portrayed the deities as sensuous figures of sacred import. Every bronze is a portable image, carried through temple and town to participate in celebrations that combined the sacred with the joyous atmosphere of carnival. In these lectures, Dehejia discusses the images as tangible objects that interact in a concrete way with human activities and socioeconomic practices. She asks questions of this body of material that have never been asked before, concerning the source of wealth that enabled the creation of bronzes, the origin of copper not available locally, the role of women patro

Frank Gehry, architect, in conversation with Paul Goldberger, architecture critic and author, Building Art: The Life and Work of Frank Gehry. Moderated by Harry Cooper, curator and head, department of modern art, National Gallery of Art. The National Gallery of Art, in collaboration with the Foundation for Art and Preservation in Embassies (FAPE), hosted a panel discussion with architect Frank Gehry and Pulitzer Prize–winning architectural critic Paul Goldberger on April 18, 2016. The conversation, moderated by Harry Cooper, was held in honor of Building Art: The Life and Work of Frank Gehry. This first critical biography presents and evaluates the work of a man who has almost single-handedly transformed contemporary architecture in his innovative use of materials, design, and form. Gehry is also among the very few architects in history to be both respected by critics as a creative, cutting-edge force and embraced by the general public as a popular figure. At once a sweeping view of a great architect and an i

Vidya Dehejia, Barbara Stoler Miller Professor of Indian Art, Columbia University. In this six-part lecture series entitled The Thief Who Stole My Heart: The Material Life of Chola Bronzes from South India, c. 855–1280, art historian Vidya Dehejia discusses the work of artists of Chola India who created exceptional bronzes of the god Shiva, invoked as “Thief Who Stole My Heart.” Graceful, luminous sculptures of high copper content portrayed the deities as sensuous figures of sacred import. Every bronze is a portable image, carried through temple and town to participate in celebrations that combined the sacred with the joyous atmosphere of carnival. In these lectures, Dehejia discusses the images as tangible objects that interact in a concrete way with human activities and socioeconomic practices. She asks questions of this body of material that have never been asked before, concerning the source of wealth that enabled the creation of bronzes, the origin of copper not available locally, the role of women patro

Christopher A. Gregg, term assistant professor of art history, George Mason University, and professor in charge, University of Georgia Classics Study Abroad in Rome. The exhibition Power and Pathos: Bronze Sculpture of the Hellenistic World, on view at the National Gallery of Art from December 13, 2015, through March 20, 2016, presents some 50 bronze sculptures and related works, dating from the fourth century BC to the first century AD. They span the Hellenistic period when the art and culture of Greece spread throughout the Mediterranean and lands once conquered by Alexander the Great. In this public symposium, held on March 18-19, 2016, in conjunction with the exhibition, Christopher A. Gregg examines how the core identity of the Hellenistic city manifested in traditional forms of public sculpture and architecture, often attempting to draw clear parallels with the great polities that came before. The highly competitive nature of the Hellenistic kingdoms, however, combined with the addition of new cultural

In this six-part lecture series entitled The Thief Who Stole My Heart: The Material Life of Chola Bronzes from South India, c. 855–1280, art historian Vidya Dehejia discusses the work of artists of Chola India who created exceptional bronzes of the god Shiva, invoked as "Thief Who Stole My Heart." Graceful, luminous sculptures of high copper content portrayed the deities as sensuous figures of sacred import. Every bronze is a portable image, carried through temple and town to participate in celebrations that combined the sacred with the joyous atmosphere of carnival. In these lectures, Dehejia discusses the images as tangible objects that interact in a concrete way with human activities and socioeconomic practices. She asks questions of this body of material that have never been asked before, concerning the source of wealth that enabled the creation of bronzes, the origin of copper not available locally, the role of women patrons, the strategic position of the Chola empire at the center of a flourishing ocean

Andrew Stewart, professor of ancient Mediterranean art and archaeology and Nicholas C. Petris Professor of Greek Studies, University of California, Berkeley, and curator of Mediterranean archaeology, Hearst Museum of Anthropology. The exhibition Power and Pathos: Bronze Sculpture of the Hellenistic World, on view at the National Gallery of Art from December 13, 2015, through March 20, 2016, presents some 50 bronze sculptures and related works, dating from the fourth century BC to the first century AD. They span the Hellenistic period when the art and culture of Greece spread throughout the Mediterranean and lands once conquered by Alexander the Great. The exhibition provides a unique opportunity to witness the importance of bronze in the ancient world, when it became the preferred medium for portrait sculpture. Part of a public symposium held in conjunction with the exhibition on March 18 and 19, 2016, Andrew Stewart's lecture, "Muzcle into Bronze," seeks to put bronze athlete statues in context by briefly sk

Anthony Kaldellis, professor of classics, Ohio State University. On view from December 13, 2015, through March 20, 2016, the exhibition Power and Pathos: Bronze Sculpture of the Hellenistic World features 50 works that survey the development of Hellenistic art as it spread from Greece throughout the Mediterranean between the fourth and first centuries BC. Through the medium of bronze, artists were able to capture the dynamic realism, expression, and detail that characterized the new artistic goals of the period. The exhibition presents a unique opportunity to witness the importance of bronze in the ancient world, when it became the preferred medium for portrait sculpture. In this lecture recorded on March 3, 2016, Anthony Kaldellis explains the role of Hellenistic art during the Byzantine era. For centuries, Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, was the largest and most impressive open-air museum of classical art in the world. To adorn their capital, emperors selected and imported the best surv

Vidya Dehejia, Barbara Stoler Miller Professor of Indian Art, Columbia University. In this six-part lecture series entitled The Thief Who Stole My Heart: The Material Life of Chola Bronzes from South India, c. 855–1280, art historian Vidya Dehejia discusses the work of artists of Chola India who created exceptional bronzes of the god Shiva, invoked as "Thief Who Stole My Heart." Graceful, luminous sculptures of high copper content portrayed the deities as sensuous figures of sacred import. Every bronze is a portable image, carried through temple and town to participate in celebrations that combined the sacred with the joyous atmosphere of carnival. In these lectures, Dehejia discusses the images as tangible objects that interact in a concrete way with human activities and socioeconomic practices. She asks questions of this body of material that have never been asked before, concerning the source of wealth that enabled the creation of bronzes, the origin of copper not available locally, the role of women patro

Anna Vasiliki Karapanagiotou, director, Ephorate of Antiquities of Arcadia, Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports. To honor closing day of the exhibition Power and Pathos: Bronze Sculpture of the Hellenistic World on March 20, 2016, Anna Vasiliki Karapanagiotou surveys imagery portraying influential women of Hellenistic and Roman Athens in order to explore and better understand their historical context. The late Hellenistic and imperial periods were characterized by profound changes in ancient Greeks' perceptions of societal roles. In this lecture, Karapanagiotou explains how life for women was altered and suitable conditions arose for more prominent depictions of upper-class women in visual media. This program was coordinated with and supported by the Embassy of Greece to the United States.

Gianfranco Adornato, professor of classical archaeology, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa. The exhibition Power and Pathos: Bronze Sculpture of the Hellenistic World, on view at the National Gallery of Art from December 13, 2015, through March 20, 2016, presents some 50 bronze sculptures and related works, dating from the fourth century BC to the first century AD. They span the Hellenistic period when the art and culture of Greece spread throughout the Mediterranean and lands once conquered by Alexander the Great. The exhibition provides a unique opportunity to witness the importance of bronze in the ancient world, when it became the preferred medium for portrait sculpture. In his lecture, "Living Statues," at a public symposium held in conjunction with the exhibition on March 18 and 19, 2016, Gianfranco Adornato examines the reception and appreciation of Hellenistic sculpture in ancient and modern times. Adornato analyzes ancient literary sources and archaeological evidence as documentation of how these statue

Dimitrios Pandermalis, president of the board of directors, Acropolis Museum, and professor of archaeology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. On view from December 13, 2015, through March 20, 2016, at the National Gallery of Art, the exhibition Power and Pathos: Bronze Sculpture of the Hellenistic World presents some 50 bronze sculptures and related works, dating from the fourth century BC to the first century AD. They span the Hellenistic period when the art and culture of Greece spread throughout the Mediterranean and lands once conquered by Alexander the Great. In this lecture recorded on March 17, 2016, Dimitrios Pandermalis shares ruins and finds from recent excavations of Dion, the sacred site at Mount Olympus dedicated to Zeus, father of the ancient Greek gods. Discoveries include altars, sanctuaries, temples, dedications, and inscriptions to Zeus, Dionysos, and Isis, testifying to the importance of the gods and goddess during the Hellenistic era. This program is coordinated with Eleftherios Ikonom

Alexandre Arrechea, artist, in conversation with Michelle Bird, curatorial assistant, department of French paintings, National Gallery of Art. Alexandre Arrechea (b. Trinidad, Cuba, 1970) graduated from the prestigious Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA) in Havana in 1994 and was a founding member of the Cuban artist collective Los Carpinteros (1991-2003). Arrechea's work employs visual metaphors for social themes of inequality, cultural disenfranchisement, and the disputed position of art in a global, media-driven society. Like many artists of his generation, he manipulates symbols and materials in an ambivalent manner, causing the viewer to walk away without a specific point of view about the work. In the spring of 2013, Arrechea exhibited a series of monumental sculptures that reflect on New York architecture along the Park Avenue Malls. Arrechea represented his homeland in the Cuban Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2011, as well as at the Havana and Sao Paulo Biennials. His work has been featured in group

Alison Luchs, curator of early European sculpture, National Gallery of Art; Eike Schmidt, director, The Uffizi Gallery, Florence; Dylan Smith, Robert H. Smith Research Conservator, National Gallery of Art; and Shelley Sturman, senior conservator and head, department of object conservation, National Gallery of Art. A collection of 80 superb European Renaissance sculptures in bronze, boxwood, and ivory, assembled by the late Robert H. Smith from 1978 to 2009, is promised to the National Gallery of Art. Recorded on March 6, 2016, this presentation celebrates the the publication of a catalog of these objects in a recent supplement to The Burlington Magazine. Curators and conservators from the team that prepared the catalog discuss the sculptures, offering a look at the technical and art historical research that yielded new discoveries about them.