U.S. debut for epic Jonas work
In 2015, the entire U.S. Pavilion at the Venice Biennale — the best-known and, arguably, most important international exposition of contemporary art — was devoted to a new work by the multimedia artist Joan Jonas. Then 78 and a legend in the true sense of the word — few people had actually seen celebrated works known from far-flung reports — Jonas worked with MIT’s List Visual Arts Center to realize a vast ecological warning that incorporates video, painting, objects and child performers.
The debut was a smashing success. According to the Guardian, Jonas’ “intimate, intricate, and deeply moving new piece in Venice (made) her — at last, at last — into an American hero.” The New York Times pronounced it “a triumphal exhibition.”
But the piece, “They Come to Us Without a Word,” occupied all four galleries and the rotunda of a sizable building — a logistical and technical challenge to put on. It has been shown only twice since its premiere, in Singapore and in Montreal. It was acquired by the private Kramlich Collection, which is based in the Bay Area, but has never been seen in the U.S.
Now, Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture has announced the work’s first American presentation, as part of the center’s extraordinary series of campus-wide installations by world-class artists. “Joan Jonas: They Come to Us Without a Word” will be on view Jan. 17 through March 10. Live performances by the artist of another work, “Moving Off the Land,” are scheduled for Jan. 19 and 20.
The exhibition will be free, but reservations are highly encouraged; details on the performance are still being ironed out. If the Bay Area has its art priorities reasonably straight, both will be hot tickets.