Jenny Holzer. Lustmord (detail), from the show “Anguish.” Photo courtesy the MCA.
In keeping with the season (and the artist on/as celebrity theme) this week’s roundup finds James Franco revisiting Bruce Nauman. Also, Jenny Holzer inscribes the theme of anguish, a Fred Wilson work is at the center of a local controversy, and a few artist talks are happening this week.
- As part of Anguish at the Memphis College of Art, Jenny Holzer contributes 17 Cibachrome prints titled Lustmord (sex murder), which cut deep into the psyches of women ravaged by war and into the collective consciousness of wartime Bosnia. Holtzer records the actual words of victims, family members who witnessed the atrocities, as well as the perpetrators. This exhibition is on view until November 7.
- Actor-turned-artist James Franco channels his inner Bruce Nauman by appearing in artist/filmmaker Alison Chernick‘s film short, wherein the actor recreates Nauman’s 1967 piece, Art Make-Up. Here’s the original Bruce Nauman video to view as a comparison.
- A recent public sculpture by Fred Wilson is at the center of a fiery debate in Indianapolis. Wilson’s image of a freed slave digs deep into the heart of local sentiment regarding its slavery past. Many support Wilson’s work which is currently on display at the southwest corner of the Indianapolis city-county building.
- At 6pm on November 4, Laylah Ali will talk about her use of everyday objects juxtaposed with violent subject matter as political resistance and betrayal as part of the Contemporary Perspective Lecture Series at the CFA Concert Hall at Boston University. The lecture is free and open to the public.
- On November 9, Mary Heilmann will talk about the concept of free time in at the Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University. This lecture is tied to a undergraduate seminar on Issues in Contemporary Art. This event is free and open to the public.
- You may still have time to catch Oliver Herring, Areas for Action at Meulensteen which is presenting several performances, improvisatory sculptures, and real-time collaborative artworks by Oliver Herring. Visitors should consult the exhibition schedule online for a complete list of performances and events, all of which are open to the public.