NOW AND THEN
November 18, 2023–March 31, 2024
The Weserburg Museum für moderne Kunst is presenting the first institutional solo exhibition of Kay Rosen in Europe. Ever since the 1970s, the American artist (b. 1943 in Corpus Christi, Texas; lives in New York City and Gary, Indiana) has been using language as artistic material. She is internationally known above all for wall works which render individual words, sentences or series of letters, often in massive dimensions. Coming together here in an impressive manner are minimalist form, aesthetic impact and intelligent contents.
Whether climate crisis, AIDS, gender issues or the relationship between power, self-empowerment and powerlessness—her works are permeated by political themes and reflect with pointed expressivity on current debates. Kay Rosen, however, emphasizes that she is not motivated by politics but by language itself. She seeks constantly new interconnections between image, word and script. For this purpose, she uses multifaceted visual and typographical strategies that extend a bridge between the disciplines of the visual arts, literature and poetry. In this endeavor, she takes delight in breaking rules. Thus she creates plays on words and linguistic images that not infrequently employ levity and wittiness for seductive effect and only gradually reveal their ambiguity.
The exhibition in Bremen brings together around 40 works, including several large-format wall works, paintings, drawings, prints and videos. To be seen in addition to exemplary major works is also a new, six-part language picture that was especially developed for the spaces of the museum.
“The Weserburg is making possible, in recognition of the artist’s eightieth birthday, a fresh encounter with and rediscovery of a complex artistic oeuvre which, in its incomparable combination of humorous lightness and analytical sharpness, is now receiving its first comprehensive presentation in Europe.” —Ingo Clauß, curator
A catalog with texts by Ingo Clauß, Kenneth Goldsmith, and Kay Rosen as well as numerous illustrations will be available in December 2023. Publishing house: DCV Dr. Cantz.
With generous support: Karin und Uwe Hollweg Stiftung, WFB Wirtschaftsförderung Bremen GmbH. Media partner: Bremen Zwei.
Director: Janneke de Vries
Press contact: Jan Harriefeld, presse [at] weserburg.de / T + 49 (0) 421 5983934
