58th Carnegie International to include special events
When the 58th Carnegie International opens Sept. 24, visitors to North America’s oldest contemporary art exhibition will see works that unfold narratives of resistance and survival.
The exhibition, which was founded in 1896 by industrialist Andrew Carnegie, runs through April 2 at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Oakland. It features newly commissioned work, existing works and projects by more than 100 local, national and international artists.
A prime example is a Hill District mural unveiled earlier this summer and on view at 2318 Centre Ave. “A Gift to the Hill District’’ was created by community residents working with artist James “Yaya” Hough. The mural features these words by Pittsburgh-born playwright August Wilson: “Have a belief in yourself that is bigger than anyone’s disbelief.”
Like Wilson, the artists chosen for the exhibition have had plenty of experience with resistance, survival and solidarity in countries such as Iraq, Panama and Vietnam.
“Is it morning for you yet?” is the title of the 58th Carnegie International. The question arose during a conversation between the curator, Sohrab Mohebbi, and Guatemalan artist Edgar Calel. Implicit in the query is the realization that while it may be morning for one person, it may be night for another individual.
Opening day, Sept. 24, features three programs and a reception for museum members:
From 10 a.m.-8 p.m., artist Malcolm Peacock will gather with a group of Black Pittsburgh residents for a work of performance art that will be experienced by one
visitor at a time. Its title is: “The insistent desire for and impossibility of being.”
The performance will ask whether art museums can cultivate a space in which Black autonomy is uncontested; it will take place throughout the exhibition on days that mark major events in Black American history. Participation is free with museum admission, but registration is required at the visitors services desk starting at 10 a.m. Sept. 24.
From 4:30-5 p.m. Sept. 24, artist Ali Eyal will explore the history of Iraq in a performance activation called “Where Does a Thought Go When It’s Forgotten? And …” The piece includes personal reflection and depictions of the flora and fauna of Iraq, a country Eyal’s family once called home. It will be held in Heinz Gallery B.
From 5-6 p.m., Christian Nyampeta will give a concert titled “Search Sweet Country” in the Carnegie Museum of Art Sculpture Court. Nyampeta, an artist born in Rwanda and now living in The Netherlands, performs songs of love, loss and overcoming. Free with admission.
Opening day closes with a members’ reception from 6-9 p.m.
The 58th Carnegie International will show visitors “how certain ways of being in a world continue through artistic practices,” Mohebbi said in a telephone interview. “Art becomes a way that can essentially preserve these narratives.”
Mohebbi, who grew up in Tehran, Iran, is the first person from Western Asia to curate the contemporary art show. Earlier this year, he was named director of of the SculptureCentre on Long Island, N.Y.
Other events scheduled during the exhibition include “Refractions,” a series of conversations held in the Carnegie Museum of Art Theater. This and many other events are free and museum admission is not required. Information: www.cmoa.org.
A film program curated by Rasha Salti will run from March 2-11 at Row House Cinema in Lawrenceville. Salti is an artist and film curator who has done a lot of research on solidarity movements.
“One of our hopes was to be able to step out of the museum when we can,” Mohebbi said.