The Nasher Sculpture Center is pleased to reveal the plans for a newly commissioned sculpture by artist Charles Long that will be located at NorthPark Center and benefit three local charities: Bookmarks, a branch of the Dallas Library, Dallas CASA and the North Texas Food Bank. The work is one of ten commissions for the Nasher’s 10th anniversary, city-wide exhibition Nasher XChange, which will be on view October 19, 2013 through February 16, 2014.
Charles Long, a Long Branch, NJ native, currently resides in Mt. Baldy, CA. His sculptures have explored the abstract autonomous art object as a psychological investigation into the nature of self and others and have been made from diverse media such as coffee grounds, rubber and hair from Abraham Lincoln.
For his Nasher XChange commission, Long plans to create an interactive, waterless fountain entitled Fountainhead that extends his ongoing investigation into the viewer/artwork relationship through the use of new technologies. The installation performs every function of a traditional fountain, only virtually.
Projected images of sheets of dollar bills move serenely down the surface of a sculpted monument, flowing like water, instantly adapting to every nook and curve, accompanied by a serene soundtrack scored especially for it. Three kiosks topped with interactive screens face the monolith and offer an opportunity for visitors to donate money to one of the three designated charities, much like the coins tossed into the Trevi Fountain are donated to charity. After payment is tendered, visitors are encouraged to flick a virtual coin off of the screen toward the sculpture resulting in an exuberant splash of dollars going in every direction. The three designated charities were selected by the artist and Nasher Sculpture Center director, trustees and staff.
“In creating this new work for Nasher XChange I was conscious of the social role that sacrifice has played throughout history. In Fountainhead, I sought to encourage the passerby to give up something of value before an anticipating audience. It’s a bit of harmless fun, yet it echoes ancient public sacrificial ceremonies and it seems pertinent to be doing this kind of sacrifice today in this very popular shopping center where visitors have been seeing public art for decades,” said artist Charles Long. “One of my interests as a sculptor has been to play with the image of value and art, and in this work I wanted to see what a massive fountain of money issuing endlessly forth might feel like as a public spectacle. There is decadence, but then there is this social act of giving. I chose charities proximally close to the lives of the participants so that their giving had a more tangible meaning.”
Nasher XChange will extend the museum’s core mission beyond its walls and into Dallas’ diverse neighborhoods, alongside key community partners, to present advances in the rapidly expanding field of sculpture, raise the level of discourse on the subject within the city, and contribute to broader national and international conversations on public sculpture. As the only institution in the world exclusively dedicated to collecting, exhibiting, and researching modern and contemporary sculpture, the Nasher Sculpture Center is uniquely positioned to investigate this growing practice of sculpture in the public realm.
Nasher XChange also references the history of the Nasher Collection itself: from the time of its early formation, major works from it were displayed at NorthPark Center, the indoor shopping mall created in 1965 by Raymond Nasher, and that tradition of making museum-quality art available for everyday enjoyment continues today. Millions of people every year have the opportunity to experience this fascinating and significant art located throughout NorthPark Center.
Long has been interested in the intersection between art, sound, and viewer participation since he collaborated with the band Stereolab in the mid-90’s to create sculptures with sound components that could be accessed through headphones. In his latest public art piece, Pet Sounds, Long evolved his ideas as new technological possibilities were developed with a special focus on activating sound through touch.
Long is an internationally exhibited artist with more than thirty solo shows at such venues as Site Santa Fe; St. Louis Art Museum; Orange County Museum of Art, Newport Beach; Sperone Gallery, Rome; London Projects, UK; and Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, NYC. Long has taught at California Institute of the Arts, Art Center College of Art and Design, Otis College of Art and Design, Harvard University and currently is faculty and chair of the UC Riverside Department of Art.
The Nasher has also commissioned Ruben Ochoa, Rick Lowe, Ugo Rondinone, Alfredo Jaar, Vicki Meek, Good/Bad Art Collective, Liz Larner, Lara Almarcegui, and Rachel Harrison to create works for Nasher XChange. Details about their works, including the locations of the installations, will be announced throughout the summer.
About Bookmarks, Dallas Public Library:
Dallas Public Library’s Bookmarks location is a place for sharing the love of reading nestled in NorthPark Center. It is a kids friendly, families welcome, fantastically fun place to read, listen, giggle and learn. The staff are eager to connect children with books, DVDs and CDs from their collection of over 5,000 items as well as entertain and educate with a variety of storytime events throughout the week. This one-of-a-kind location offers Early Learning computer stations with over 30 interactive games just for kids under 12 years old as well as craft events and visiting storytellers and authors. Please check their schedule at www.dallaslibrary.org or call 214 671-1381 for more information.
About Dallas CASA:
Established in 1979, Dallas CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) is a private nonprofit organization of volunteers who serve as voices in court for abused and neglected children. Volunteers are trained to make recommendations that help judges decide what is best for each child. CASA volunteers help ensure that abused and neglected children have the best chance of finding safe, permanent homes where they can thrive. A CASA volunteer can make an immediate and critical impact on the life of a child. To learn more about advocating for abused children, visit www.dallascasa.org or call 214-827-8961.
About North Texas Food Bank:
The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) is a top-ranked nonprofit relief organization which leads the fight againsthunger with knowledge-based strategies to distribute donated, purchased, and prepared foods through anetwork of feeding programs in 13 North Texas counties. NTFB supports the nutritional needs of children,families and seniors through research, education, advocacy and strategic partnerships. In FY 2012, NTFBprovided access to more than 47 million nutritious meals. Founded in 1982, the year 2012 markedNTFB’s 30thanniversary. NTFB is a member of Feeding America (feedingamerica.org).
About NorthPark Center:
Named as one of the "7 Retail Wonders of the Modern World" by Shopping Centers Today, NorthPark Center offers an unparalleled luxury shopping experience with 225 unique retailers, restaurants and legendary department stores set amid a magnificent setting of internationally acclaimed 20th and 21st century art, award-winning architecture and extraordinary landscaping. The center has won countless awards, including the American Institute of Architects' Best Design of the Decade. NorthPark Center is privately owned, managed, operated and leased by husband and wife team, David J. Haemisegger and Nancy A. Nasher.
In 2012, NorthPark Center surpassed $1 billion in total overall sales placing it among the top five performing shopping centers in the United States. In 2006, NorthPark Center completed a $250 million expansion, which included the addition of 1.2-million-square-feet of retail, restaurant and community space, a 1.4-acre sculpture garden, CenterPark, and a state-of-the-art movie theatre, AMC NorthPark 15. NorthPark Center is the largest shopping center in North Texas with over 2 million square feet.
NorthPark Center is five miles north of downtown Dallas, 30 miles east of Fort Worth and at the center of it all with convenient access to surrounding suburbs. Dallas Love Field Airport and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport are both located within 20 minutes.
About the Nasher Sculpture Center:
Open since 2003 and located in the heart of the Dallas Arts District, the Nasher Sculpture Center is home to one of the finest collections of modern and contemporary sculptures in the world, the Raymond and Patsy Nasher Collection, featuring more than 300 masterpieces by Calder, Giacometti, Matisse, Picasso, Rodin, and more. The longtime dream of the late Raymond and Patsy Nasher, the museum was designed by world-renowned architect Renzo Piano in collaboration with landscape architect Peter Walker.
Hailed by the "USA Today" as one of the great sculpture gardens where art enhances nature, the roofless museum seamlessly integrates the indoor galleries with the outdoor spaces creating a museum experience unlike any other in the world. On view in the light-filled galleries and amid the landscaped grounds are rotating works from the Collection, as well as blockbuster exhibitions and one-of-a-kind installations by the most celebrated artists of our times. In addition to the indoor and outdoor gallery spaces, the Center contains an auditorium, education and research facilities, a cafe, and a store.
The Nasher brings the best of contemporary culture to Dallas through special programs designed to engage visitors, including artist talks, lecture programs, contemporary music concerts, educational classes and exclusive member events.
The Nasher Sculpture Center is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm and until 11 pm for special events, and from 10 am to 5 pm on the first Saturday of each month. Admission is $10 for adults, $7 for seniors, $5 for students, and free for members and children 12 and under, and includes access to special exhibitions. For more information, visit www.NasherSculptureCenter.org.
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