Editor's note: CultureMap is proud to present the latest installment in our partnership with KLRU's documentary series Arts in Context. This unique series celebrates stories about the arts in Austin and the people who make this such a vibrant and creative city.
Fourteen artists come together to bring immersive, participatory, and performative art to The Contemporary Austin. Strange Pilgrims is the museum's first large-scale, thematic group exhibition, bringing experiential art to multiple venues. Curated by Heather Pesanti, the exhibition features a combination of newly commissioned works, site-specific re-fabrications, and existing works from an international lineup of artists including Charles Atlas, Ayşe Erkmen, and Sofía Táboas.
Inspired by the collection of stories Strange Pilgrims by renowned Colombian novelist Gabriel García Márquez, Pesanti uses the wandering protagonist as a metaphor for an open-ended journey through strange and unfamiliar spaces. From giant vats that pump out large quantities of foam to indigo-stained sculptures, Strange Pilgrims covers a wide variety of mediums and ideas. Sometimes challenging, often interactive, and always fascinating, The Contemporary Austin has elevated experiential art to a new level.
Strange Pilgrims is on view through January 24, 2016 at the Jones Center, Laguna Gloria, and the Visual Arts Center in the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Texas.
KLRU-TV, Austin PBS is dedicated to telling stories that entertain, inspire, and change our lives. KLRU highlights what makes Austin unique — whether music, arts, or public issues — by creating and distributing award-winning original content. KLRU produces several series including Austin City Limits, Arts in Context, Central Texas Gardener, Civic Summit, and Overheard With Evan Smith. As a nonprofit educational organization, KLRU also prepares children to succeed in school and creates lifelong learning opportunities for all.
Institute for Turbulence Research by Charles Atlas.
