Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Ha | Art21 Blog
1/13/13 6:41 PM
HOME
GUEST BLOG
EDUCATION
VIDEO
search
subscribe
Art21 Blog feed Video feed Education feed Guest Blog feed
flash points
communicate
recent comments
How are stories and art intertwined? Agnieszka in Dissecting the Social Self: A [Wo]Man, an Animal, and an Ambiguous I. : Interesting... dennis in When Works of Literature Make The Leap: Joe, looking at Glenn Ligon this summer inspired me to give my ap... Kyle in Videogame Appropriation in Contemporary Art: Grand Theft Auto (GTA): I love the amount of work Rockstar puts... Docsson in The Art + Brain Files: These sound, to me at least, the same comments that were (and for some continue to... Birgitte Lamb in More Moments, More Dialogue: Hi Joe. This sounds very interesting and is clearly a subject of... In and out of the classroom What excites me about the List is the arts at MIT are rooted in experimentation, and the List excels at that mandate. My goal is to try to build on the Lists strong reputation while also expanding its role in the lives of students and the greater MIT community. Just as the MIT Museum explores the foundations and frontiers of science and technology, the List Visual Arts Center explores the foundations and frontiers of the visual arts, serving as a laboratory for forward thinking and experimentation in the art world. Previously, Ha served as the inaugural director of the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (CAM). He began by overseeing the construction and opening of a new facility designed by Brad Cloepfil of Allied Works Architecture. At the end of his tenure this past November, Ha joined the List Visual Arts Center having produced 92 exhibitions at CAM and having brought more than 220 artists to St. Louis. He offered artists such as Laylah Ali, Un-Fei Ji, David Noonan, Alexander Ross, Ada Ruilova, and Gedi Sibony their first museum exhibitions; raised more than $40 million for the institution; and established a $5 million endowmentthe Museums first. Ha has also served as the deputy director of program and external affairs at the Yale University Art Gallery. Most importantly, Ha was the Executive Director (1996-2001) and Associate Director (1993-1996) at White Columns in New York a position that was the catalyst of his early career endeavors. We began our talk by discussing this point in his career, because I recognized something familiar in the timbre of his voice while watching a 1999 video by Marc Ostrick that made me think, I wish I had met Paul Ha then. Ha has lectured widely on contemporary art, the emerging art scene, and the importance of notfor-profits. Also, Ha has served extensively on panels and has been a visiting critic, lecturer
featured video
Paul Ha is the new director of the List Visual Arts Center, Massachusetts Institute for Technologys (MIT) contemporary art museum, which focuses on experimental exhibitions and a wide range of educational programs and publications. Earlier this fall, Ha talked to MIT news about his prospective position and vision for the List:
pages
About Art21 About the Art21 Blog Writers and Contributors
blogger-in-residence
newsletter
Sign up
art21 online
Michael Neault, Content and Media Producer, Portland, OR on Art21.org on Blip.tv on Del.icio.us on Facebook on Flickr on iTunes on PBS on Twitter on YouTube
categories
> Columns (1284) > 5 Questions for Contemporary Practice (21) > Alchemy of Inspiration (5) > Art 2.1: Creating on the Social Web (16) > Bedfellows: Art and Visual Culture (15) > BOMB in the Building (19) > Bound: The Printed Object in
blogroll
16 Miles of String 2 Buildings 1 Blog Art Fag City
http://blog.art21.org/2011/12/23/inside-the-artists-studio-paul-c-ha/
Page 1 of 6
1/13/13 6:41 PM
Art Whirled Artlog ArtsBeat Bad at Sports BAM 150 BOMBlog C-Monster Creative Capital The Lab Culture Monster Ed Winkleman Eyeteeth Henry Art Gallery: Hankblog Hrag Vartanian Hyperallergic IMA Blog LACMA: Unframed Look Into My Owl Mattress Factory Modern Art Notes MoMA: Inside/Out New Curator OC Art Blog PBS NewsHour: Art Beat SFMOMA: Open Space The Artblog The Ben Street The Daily Beast The Gray Area (Grey Art Gallery, NYU) The Huffington Post Two Coats of Paint updownacross VernissageTV Walker Art Center
archives
January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010
How is art influenced? (35) Must art be ethical? (40) Systems: Can art transcend paradigms? (32) The New Culture Wars: What's at Stake? (9) Transformation: How does art adapt and change over time? (26)
PH: It has been a privilege to be able to follow some of the artists and their work for such a long time. Additionally, what has been interesting for me is that there are many many more artists whose work astonished me then, more than 20 years ago, who are no longer making art. The survival rate to being an artist and to remain one is slim I can attest that there is a huge attrition rate in becoming an artist. Thats why I respect so much those who stick with it and those that survive. When I first saw Seans work he was just out of Yalehe was an emerging artistand he and a bunch of others moved to New York City [4]. I happened to arrive in NYC about the same timearound 1986so all of us were, in a way, starting a new adventure, all with different hopes. [5] When I made my first studio visit with Sean in 1986, it wasnt the Sean Landers we know today, and I wasnt a museum director. The visit was between an artist fresh
http://blog.art21.org/2011/12/23/inside-the-artists-studio-paul-c-ha/
Page 2 of 6
1/13/13 6:41 PM
What influences art? (47) What is the value of art? (83) What's so shocking about contemporary art? (40) > Video: (528) Classroom (15) Conversation (8) Excerpt (35) Exclusive (186) New York Close Up (62) Reblog (198) Spoof (6) Uncut (4) Access '12 (1) Art21 Access '09 (25) Art21 Artists: (1390) Ai Weiwei (19) Alejandro Almanza Pereda (1) Alfredo Jaar (59) Allan McCollum (40) Allora & Calzadilla (68) An-My L (30) Andrea Zittel (49) Ann Hamilton (47) Arturo Herrera (39) assume vivid astro focus (5) Barbara Kruger (65) Barry McGee (75) Beryl Korot (10) Bruce Nauman (82) Cai Guo-Qiang (68) Cao Fei (47) Carrie Mae Weems (79) Catherine Opie (7) Catherine Sullivan (26) Charles Atlas (28) Cindy Sherman (61) Collier Schorr (35) David Altmejd (4) David Brooks (3) Diana Al-Hadid (2) Do-Ho Suh (43) Doris Salcedo (30) El Anatsui (17) Eleanor Antin (40) Elizabeth Murray (17) Ellen Gallagher (26) Erin Shirreff (1) Florian Maier-Aichen (19) Fred Wilson (35) Gabriel Orozco (55) Glenn Ligon (15) Hiroshi Sugimoto (54) Hubbard & Birchler (8) Iigo Manglano-Ovalle (25) Ida Applebroog (27) James Turrell (48) Janine Antoni (43) Jeff Koons (89) Jenny Holzer (99) Jessica Stockholder (37) John Baldessari (79) John Feodorov (4) Josephine Halvorson (2)
May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007
If you look at the work that Sean is doing now and you look at the work he was doing in 1986, you may say it is by two different artists, unless youve seen all the different directions and the chances the artist took with the work. What also has been interesting is that when an artist does make a change to their work, they are often unsure, insecure about it and undecided as to what theyve just done. And it is during this moment that they often ask someone to come over for a studio visit, usually a friend or another artist. I think it takes a certain kind of artist, which is to say someone who is incredibly courageous, to be willing to make changes to a body of work that they are so well-known for. It takes courage to be an artist, in addition to talent. GK: An artist friend recently told me, Im not keen on studio visits, its as if someone is walking around inside my head. Is the studio space always about a physical space? PH: In the end, the studio visit is for that artist. And what is so special about a studio visit are the conversationswhile the artist and you are simultaneously looking at an object. Art conversations happen all the time, at parties, in restaurants, in a classroom setting; however, in a studio visit, the focus is for that particular artist. Your friend is right; the visitor IS walking inside the artists head. But it is at the invitation of that artist. GK: Does the studio visit in your opinion rank as high as it used to in the hierarchy of a curators things-to-do list today, or could the art fair be considered to be an alternative quick fix for the busy ones in transit? PH: Going to an art fair is like going to a record store, versus going to an artists studio is analogous to being invited to a recording studio while a musician is making a new album. There is a world of difference. A studio visit is a privilege, an artist is bringing you into their delicate and private world and we get to be part of that, even just for a night. Again, the studio visit is all about the conversations while both the artist and the visitor are simultaneously looking at an object. The real focus of the studio visit is the artist and their workwhereas the focus of the art fair is experiencing the art market at work. Art fairs are great for many things, especially as a way to see broadly what the dealers feel is in demand. But I dont know any curator that would seriously consider using the art fair to work on an exhibition or to do their research. There is such value in a long term relationship that gets developed during the visits and the conversations that leads to better understanding of the workthose are invaluable, and you simply do not get that from an art fair. At art fairs, it is mostly the dealers who bring valuable knowledge to the work, but I feel in contemporary art that the curators would not be doing their job if they didnt make a direct connection with the artists they are thinking about. In a way, a curators role is to be the voice of the artistto point out or to communicate something that the artist is unable to. And at art fairs, the voice is that of the dealer and collectors; rarely do artists have a voice. GK: In recent articles, you often used the word laboratory in regards to the MIT List Visual Arts a word that artists respond to with enthusiasm. It implies experimentation, potential, and a space where artists can take liberties. So, what kind of a lab do you envision? PH: MIT is an amazing place that encourages entrepreneurism and has a culture where putting forth the best idea is highly valued. And for obvious reasons, they are known for their exceptional engineering and science departments. But what the general public may not know is that the Institute also excels at humanities and business. Our Sloan School of Management is ranked as one of the best business schools in the world [6] and our schools in architecture, linguistics, political science, literature, visual arts, and performing arts, to name a few, are also exceptional. And as the contemporary art museum at MIT, one can easily misconceive that our mandate is to have an exhibition program that features technology. And because artists have always embraced the latest technology [7] and love incorporating them into their work, one can easily make that assumption. But if we were to think in terms of music, to be cutting-edge and avant-garde in music does not necessarily mean using computers or the other newest tools for their craft. What makes a piece cutting-edge and avant-garde is the newness of the idea. The latest technology simply is an instrument that the musician may or may not use. One can use a 300-year-old violin to create something that is unconditionally avant-garde.
support art21
Your tax-deductible donation provides crucial support for Art21 projects.
admin
Admin access
http://blog.art21.org/2011/12/23/inside-the-artists-studio-paul-c-ha/
Page 3 of 6
1/13/13 6:41 PM
Josiah McElheny (44) Judy Pfaff (40) Julie Mehretu (60) Kalup Linzy (20) Kara Walker (86) Keltie Ferris (10) Kerry James Marshall (47) Kiki Smith (85) Kimsooja (20) Krzysztof Wodiczko (37) Lari Pittman (21) LaToya Ruby Frazier (12) Laurie Anderson (57) Laurie Simmons (42) Laylah Ali (36) Liz Magic Laser (2) Louise Bourgeois (93) Lucas Blalock (8) Lynda Benglis (5) Margaret Kilgallen (17) Mariah Robertson (5) Marina Abramovi (16) Mark Bradford (100) Mark Dion (88) Martha Colburn (8) Martin Puryear (35) Mary Heilmann (33) Mary Reid Kelley (8) Matthew Barney (52) Matthew Ritchie (30) Maya Lin (56) Mel Chin (32) Michael Ray Charles (6) Mika Tajima (7) Mike Kelley (84) Nancy Spero (51) Oliver Herring (54) Paul McCarthy (46) Paul Pfeiffer (22) Pepn Osorio (16) Pierre Huyghe (35) Rackstraw Downes (5) Rashid Johnson (17) Raymond Pettibon (52) Richard Serra (69) Richard Tuttle (37) Robert Adams (37) Robert Mangold (4) Robert Ryman (31) Roni Horn (34) Sally Mann (30)
And, thats a wrap! [1] At the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, I curated and exhibited the works of Sean Landers, after following his work for over 25 years. And along with Heidi Zuckerman Jacobson, Director and Chief Curator of the Aspen Art Museum, we co-curated Ada Ruilova: Singles 1999-Now, a survey of her single-channel work spanning from 1999-2007. At that point they were no longer considered emerging artists, although when some of the work was made, they certainly fit into that category. [2] Now there are many types of visitors; I am mostly speaking of the general public. If its a curator of art that visits a museum, or a collector who loaned a piece to that museum, or an artist, their reasons for looking at the show will be entirely different. [3] Dr. Abhilash Desai, a professor of psychiatry, is quoted saying, We spend more time interpreting our experience than in experiencing.
Sarah Sze (11) Shahzia Sikander (32) Shana Moulton (11) Susan Rothenberg (19) Tabaimo (4) Tim Hawkinson (22) Tommy Hartung (4) Trenton Doyle Hancock (38) Ursula von Rydingsvard (35) Vija Celmins (29) Walton Ford (21) William Kentridge (91) William Wegman (35)
http://blog.art21.org/2011/12/23/inside-the-artists-studio-paul-c-ha/
Page 4 of 6
1/13/13 6:41 PM
Yinka Shonibare MBE (61) Art21 News (300) Biennials (61) Education (432) Exhibitions (735) Festivals (49) Guest Blog (710) Interviews (305) Locations: (1669) Africa (15) Argentina (5) Asia (15) Australia (12) Brazil (2) Canada (48) Caribbean (2) China (24) Colombia (5) Cuba (4) Denmark (11) Egypt (2) Finland (10) France (26) Germany (83) Greece (23) Guatemala (1) Iceland (2) India (7) Iraq (2) Ireland (7) Israel (1) Italy (31) Japan (6)
Tweet
20
Like
27
Posted in: > Inside the Artist's Studio, Boston, Conversation, Interviews, New York City, USA Similar posts: This weeks guest blogger: Paul Ha of The Contemporary, St. Louis , New Guest Blogger: Brendan Carroll, Artist, Writer and Independent Curator, NY , Three Questions , Prospect.1 New Orleans Coming in November , Is the Avenue for Artistic Success Ethical? Comments (0)
Trackback URI | Comments RSS Name (required) Email (required) Website Leave a Reply
Korea (2) Mexico (11) Middle East (14) Netherlands (13) Peru (3) Poland (3) Russia (2) Scotland (3) South Africa (13) Spain (29) Sweden (10) Switzerland (18) Taiwan (1) Thailand (1) Turkey (22) Ukraine (1) United Kingdom (154) USA (1271) Boston (27) Chicago (165) Connecticut (3) Houston (9) Indianapolis (28) Los Angeles (185) Miami (18) Minneapolis (3) Nebraska (3) New Orleans (23) New York City (569) North Carolina (4) Ohio (10)
Submit Comment
http://blog.art21.org/2011/12/23/inside-the-artists-studio-paul-c-ha/
Page 5 of 6
1/13/13 6:41 PM
Philadelphia (21) Pittsburgh (6) Portland (3) San Francisco (89) Seattle (12) Texas (30) Washington (4) Washington D.C. (28) Media: (1629) Architecture (60) Design (82) Drawing & Collage (285) Fashion (27) Film & Video (421) Food (42) Installation (590) New Media (261) Painting (377) Performance (346) Photography (329) Printmaking (95) Public Art (224) Sculpture (455) Social (208) Sound (41) Sound & Music (100) Photos (23) Podcasts (14) Prizes (46) Programs-Events (297) Publications (103) Season 5 (113) Season 6 (32) Support Art21 (19) Uncategorized (75) William Kentridge: Anything is Possible (20)
Art21, Inc. 20012013. All rights reserved. Art21 is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization; all donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
contact us posts(RSS) comments (RSS) top
http://blog.art21.org/2011/12/23/inside-the-artists-studio-paul-c-ha/
Page 6 of 6