Since the 1980s, renowned multidisciplinary artist Gary Simmons has created works of art that expose the legacy of race and class in American popular culture. The exhibition Gary Simmons: Public Enemywhich opens June 13 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, aims to show the breadth of this complex and deeply moving work with works from the last three decades of the artist’s career.
Drawing inspiration from popular genres such as cult horror films, hip-hop and vintage cartoons, Simmons analyzes areas such as architecture, literature, music and sports, and “asks questions on collective memory”, explains René Morales, chief curator of the MCA Alsdorf. “How do we remember our common past and what are the issues? What stories have we been taught to forget and why? His work doesn’t provide easy answers to these questions, but it does show us where we might start looking, preparing us for a powerful emotional charge as it inevitably brings us back to ourselves.
Gary Simmons: Public Enemy marks the artist’s second solo exhibition at the MCA; by Simmons first exhibition cataloged was co-curated by the museum in 2002. The current exhibition features approximately 70 works, including “Recapturing Memories of the Black Ark” (2014–ongoing), a live art installation inspired by legendary record producer Lee “Scratch” Perry’s production studio. As part of the play, Simmons invites the venue to curate a series of programs inspired by local performance stories. The MCA series includes an exploration of black social dancing, chamber music, hip-hop and a conversation with artist Dorian Sylvain.
For Simmons, “Collaborating with the MCA…to bring this exhibition to life is like going back to basics, given the museum’s longstanding support and vision. It is an honor to work with them to share 30 years of work in the great city of Chicago.
Gary Simmons: Public Enemy is the second major exhibition on the fourth floor that the MCA has presented in Spanish and English. Through this initiative, the museum aims to provide visitors with unprecedented access through bilingual content including gallery instruction, on-site Spanish-speaking visitor services associates, online content, subtitles for programming , etc.
The exhibition is organized by René Morales, Chief Curator James W. Alsdorf, and Jadine Collingwood, Assistant Curator, with Jack Schneider, Associate Curator, for the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art. It is visible from June 13 to October 1.
To learn more, visit mcachicago.org/garysimmons.
