November 7–22, 2015
Opening: Friday, November 6, 6–9pm
Gayle and Ed Roski MFA Gallery
Graduate Fine Arts Building
3001 S. Flower Street
Los Angeles, CA 90007
Hours: Thursday–Sunday 10am–4pm
www.staging-la.com
#StagingLA
USC Roski School of Art and Design and the MA Curatorial Practices and the Public Sphere program present Staging Los Angeles: Reality, Fantasy, and the Space Between, a group exhibition that centers around the representation of Los Angeles in popular media and the influence of the film industry on the city, its inhabitants, and artistic practices.
The exhibition uses Thom Andersen’s 2003 film Los Angeles Plays Itself as a point of departure, offering a space for reflection on the three themes through which this visual essay examines L.A.: the city as background, the city as character, and the city as subject.This includes exploration of the transformation of Los Angeles in cinematic representations; the iconic, fictionalized, and stylized sites of L.A.; and documentary approaches that seek a more objective look at the city.
Featuring the work of Thom Andersen, Benjamin Critton, Zoe Crosher, Megan May Daalder, Cayetano Ferrer, Justin John Greene, Calder Greenwood, Nadia Hironaka & Matthew Suib, Pascual Sisto and Jennifer West, the participating artists explore Los Angeles through film, painting, sculpture, photography, printed matter and video installation. Their works engage with the diverse geography, built environment, and cultural sensibilities of Los Angeles, challenging the notion of a singular experience. By using film techniques, referencing prominent sites in cinema, or staging sets of their own, the artists highlight how Los Angeles is a city of multiple histories that blends reality and fiction into a layered mythology. Many of the participating artists share an interest in iconic L.A. symbols or sites—their works critique, reflect, or simulate these icons, asking us to reconsider their meanings.
A screening of Thom Andersen’s 2003 film Los Angeles Plays Itself will be held on Sunday, November 15 at 5pm in the Lecture Forum at 3001 S. Flower Street.
Curated by the 2016 MA Candidates Curatorial Practices and the Public Sphere program: Monika Basse, Gracie Dixon, Nateene Diu, Tierney Hamilton, Ani Ohanessian, and Paulina Samborska
Program information
The MA Curatorial Practices and the Public Sphere is an intensive Master’s-level program in the practice and history of curating, studied through the lens of critical theory and the history of art. With a focus on the research and exhibition of contemporary art, as well as attending to art historical curating and broader conceptions of curating such as performance art programming, instructors with international careers lead students in asking social questions about the exhibition of art (broadly construed) in relation to its publics. Over two years of full-time academic study, students explore modes of curatorial practice in a curriculum combining seminars and professional training. Courses are led by USC Roski’s internationally acclaimed faculty, which includes renowned artists, scholars, critics and curators. For questions about the program, please contact [email protected] or visit roski.usc.edu.
