23 Feb 2010

Iraqimemorial.org Exhibition and Symposium - Sheppard Fine Arts Gallery

The Sheppard Fine Arts Gallery presents an exhibition and symposium highlighting the iraqimemorial.org project. Iraqimemorial.org is an online project launched in 2007 by media artist/activist and UNR faculty Associate Professor Joseph DeLappe. This ongoing project invites creative artists and architects from all over the world to propose memorials to commemorate the untold thousands of civilian deaths in the war in Iraq.

A total of 178 proposals are featured on the iraqimemorial.org website (which is available in both English and Arabic translations). While to project primarily presents speculative, memorial concepts, it has, since its inception, evolved to accept submissions featuring documentation of ongoing and completed works. An international slate of curators, scholars, artists and architects were invited in 2008 and 2009 respectively, each to select their top ten entries (there is no 'winner' of this competition). The Sheppard Gallery features 59 of these proposals that were selected through the two jurors' review processes. Selected artists were invited to recreate their online proposals as 30x40' vertical layouts that have been realized primarily as large format prints for this exhibition. Along with these printed proposals, the exhibition features selected artifacts and videos of artist's projects/proposals. In the center of the space, computer stations are available for visitors to view the entirety of the iraqimemorial.org project online.

A gallery walk-through and symposium featuring artists, jurors and scholars involved with the project is scheduled for March 4th, 2010, followed by an evening reception.

Thursday, March 4, 2010 

1-2pm: Gallery Walk Through:
Sheppard Fine Arts Gallery
Artists and jurors involved in the iraqimemorial.org project participate in an informal walk-through discussion regarding the project.

3-5pm: Symposium:
Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center Auditorium Room 124
Free and open to the public.
An opportunity for artists, jurors and scholars involved in iraqimemorial.org to engage the public in creative and scholarly discussion regarding the development of memorials to war, the artist's role in a time of war and the practicalities and pitfalls of activist, political gestures.

Featuring: 
Proposals - Artists
Joseph DeLappe, Director, iraqimemorial.org, University of Nevada, Reno
Tony Allard '…and counting…', California State University, San Marcos
Amro Hamzawi, 'Iraqis Today', Independent filmmaker/photographer, Los Angeles
Patrick Lichty, 'Arbiter of Fate', Columbia College, Chicago
Cat Soergel Marshall, 'Light Trails', Louisiana State University

Jurors/Scholars - Context
Dr. Marjorie Vecchio Moderator, Director Sheppard Fine Arts Gallery
Dr. Bernadette Buckley, Goldsmiths, University of London, researcher/writer on art and war and/or art and terrorism, including chapters for Art in the Age of Terrorism and Iraq and the Destruction of Heritage, HMP, London, 2008
Dr. Ann Keniston, University of Nevada, Reno, specialty in American Poetry, co-editor of Literature after 9/11, Routledge, 2008
Dr. David Simpson, UC Davis, literary theorist and author of 9/11 The Culture of Commemoration, University of Chicago Press, 2008
Raul Zamudio, NY-based independent curator and critic; contributing editor, Art Nexus; US correspondent, Flash Art.

5:30-7pm: Exhibition/Symposium Reception
Sheppard Fine Arts Gallery
Thursday, March 4, 2010

Iraqimemorial.org Exhibition
Participating Artists:

Tyler Adams, Vincent Akuin & Michael Manalo, Jorge Aldea, Tony Allard, Mehedi Amin, kenAR AEC & Team, Nadia Awad, Stephen Bailey, Bill Balaskas, Alexandra Ben Simon, Joshua Berger, Matthijs Boer, Carolyn Brown, Christina Calbari, Chuck Chaney, Joseph Choma, Ivan Contreras Rubio, Ryan Crooks, NaJa & deOstos, Peter Di Salvo, Rodrigo Donoso, Carla Drago, Maureen Drdak, Rob Duarte, Hakki Erol, Al Fadhil, Elizabeth Filardi & Erik Burke, Sara Fiore, Nestor Armando Gil, Amro Hamzawi, Linda Hesh, Jona Hoier & Andreas Zingerle, Peter Janssen & Ward Janssen, Suzanne Kanatsiz, Athanasia Karaioannoglou, Matt Kenyon & Doug Easterly, Lynn Marie Kirby, Erik Krikortz, Simon Kuntze-Fechner & Eddie Pinaud, Patrick Lichty, Michael Magrath, Megan Mailloux, Alban Mannisi & Philippe Nys, Cat Soergel Marshall, Stephan Mundwiler, Yaniv Ophir & Gila Fakterman, Farid Rakun, Julio Ramirez, Bekim Ramku, Rashad Salim, Andrea Stanislav, Erin Finch Stevens, Ehren Tool, Jack Toolin, Werryson Wijaya, Geri Wittig, Holly Wong, Alyssa Wright, Sayoko Yoshida


This event is sponsored in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, Nevada Arts Council, University of Nevada, Reno's College of Liberal Arts, School of the Arts, Department of Art, the Digital Media Studio and the Hilliard Endowment Fund.

http://www.iraqimemorial.org has been supported, in part, by College of Liberal Arts Scholarly and Creative Activities Funds, SOTA Creative Activity Grant, Nevada Arts Council Jackpot Grant, The Banff Center for the Arts, Canada, ISIS Arts, Newcastle, UK and Eyebeam Art and Technology, NYC.