9 Notable Exhibitions To See In 2019
December 13, 2018 by Lizabel Stella
Planning your cultural calendar can be a challenging task with all the things-to-do and must-see events happening in Austin, Texas throughout the year. So we wanted to save you some time by listing nine notable exhibitions opening at the Blanton in 2019 that you won’t want to miss.
From the colorful artworks created by a genre-bridging Choctaw-Cherokee Brooklyn-based artist to a spectacular showcase of Latin American Art, there is plenty to look forward to for everyone with these awe-inspiring exhibitions coming on view.
Kambui Olujimi: Zulu Time
Opening January 26, 2019
Following its last showcase at the University at Buffalo Art Galleries, this new solo exhibition by Brooklyn Native Kambui Olujimi will be on view in our Contemporary Project gallery. The title comes from “Zulu Time,” a short-hand term for the world’s standardized mode of tracking time, also known as “Coordinated Universal Time” (UTC). Through compelling two-dimensional and sculptural work, the artist invites visitors to consider this empirical system of reference and the invisible hierarchies that impact our daily lives.
© Kambui Olujimi
Words/Matter: Latin American Art and Language at the Blanton
Opening February 17, 2019
Showcasing over 200 objects drawn primarily from our permanent collection, this extensive exhibition explores how modern and contemporary Latin American artists have merged visual art and language in their creative work.
The exhibition has six sections that spotlight the varying ways modern and contemporary artists made written language a key aspect of their work: Alphabets, Poetry and Prose, Concrete Poetry, Shapes of Language, Fighting Words, and Between the Lines.
Copies, Fakes, and Reproductions: Printmaking in the Renaissance
Opening March 23, 2019
They say imitation is the highest form of flattery, but at the same time, a particular case of unauthorized copying in the sixteenth century led to a landmark legal decision against image piracy. This Paper Vault exhibition explores the various intentions behind copies made during the Renaissance, showcasing some incredible reproductions and at least one outright fake.
[Right Image] Johann Ladenspelder, St. Thomas, circa 1535 – 1561 (detail), engraving, 4 7/16 x 2 7/8 in. Blanton Museum of Art, University of Texas at Austin, University Purchase, 1961
Mapping Memory: Space and History in 16th-century Mexico
Opening June 29, 2019
This unique selection of works on paper will be on view in our Paper Vault gallery, highlighting the many different resources commissioned by the King of Spain to deepen his understanding of the New World. Coinciding with the 500th anniversary of the arrival of the Spanish in Mexico, this exhibition aims to kindle interdisciplinary conversations about what is perhaps the most contested event in Mexican history: the Spanish-Mexica war. August’s Third Thursday will draw upon themes in the exhibition, presenting music and a panel discussion centered around these topics.
Jeffrey Gibson: This Is the Day
Opening July 14, 2019
This visually-stunning exhibition curated by Tracy L. Adler, Johnson-Pote Director at the Wellin Museum of Art, features over fifty works made between 2014 and 2018 including intricately beaded wall hangings and punching bags, paintings, ceramics, garments, helmets, and a new video commissioned for the exhibition, I Was Here (2018). Drawing on his Choctaw and Cherokee heritage, Jeffrey Gibson celebrates all the complexities of what it is to be human, regardless of demographics. “It’s asking to create a space in which, what could be otherwise very vulnerable, is actually empowering.”
Special programs to look forward to in relation to this exhibition include a conversation with the artist Jeffrey Gibson on July 12, 2019, as well as our next B scene opening party, A Love Supreme on July 26, 2019.
Lily Cox-Richard
Opening July 27, 2019
This installation will present new work that expands Richmond-based sculptor Lily Cox-Richard’s research into the contextual history of materials. Expect the unexpected as the artist presents common materials in new forms.
Charles White: The Gordon Gift to the University of Texas
Opening September 7, 2019
This celebration of Charles White’s incredible legacy is the first dedicated presentation of over 20 works gifted to UT by the Gordon Family. This Paper Vault exhibition will be a must-see for visitors, providing a unique opportunity to rediscover this American master. White’s work has been receiving much-deserved recognition through a retrospective co-organized by the Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.
Painted Cloth: Fashion and Ritual in Colonial Latin America
Opening October 27, 2019
When we call to mind imagery associated with the Spanish Americas, it is common to focus on the religious aspects of many artworks. There are many more facets contained within these sumptuous paintings and garments though, with social roles clearly defined through fashion and ritual.
These aesthetic traditions will be also be explored in a special play created by the Savage Vanguard Theater that will be performed throughout November 2019. The play is based upon the popularized genre of “casta paintings” in Colonial Mexico, used to present a commentary on intercultural relationships. There will also be a special Symposium on Textile Production that will also take place in November. Check our Events Calendar for updated information.
Medieval Monsters: Terrors, Aliens, Wonders
Opening October 27, 2019
Propaganda and misinformation through inflammatory views are not tactics unique to modern-day media, as this profound exhibition (organized by the Morgan Library & Museum in New York) presents in this exposé of the Middle Ages.
The “monster” was considered a miracle of God and took on a variety of forms, from those in power in feudal hierarchies to marginalized groups across European societies. An entertaining and thought-provoking examination of strategy and tactics used to inspire awe and curiosity as well as unfavorable rhetoric.
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Featured image: Exhibition installation view of “Jeffrey Gibson: This Is the Day.” Image courtesy of the Ruth and Elmer Wellin Museum of Art at Hamilton College, Clinton, NY. Photograph by John Bentham.