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Exhibition Press Release
Susan Kleinberg: Fear Not
October 14, 2001 – TBA
Exhibition Press Release
Susan Kleinberg: Fear Not
October 14, 2001 – TBA
(Long Island City, NY, October 1, 2001) Opening October 14, P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center
presents Fear Not (2001), a video work by Susan Kleinberg. Fear Not is a collection of interviews with politicians, writers, scientists, and people in the street on the concept of courage, how it is publicly defined, and how we perceive our own reactions to dangerous circumstances. Fear Not premiered at the 49th Venice Biennial this year, and now comes to P.S.1 at a time when we have recently witnessed tremendous acts of courage that have been deeply inspirational as we face an uncertain future.
In its installation at P.S.1, Fear Not is shown as a loop of fifteen recorded interviews with eminent Americans, including writer Gore Vidal, painter Chuck Close, General Norman Schwarzkopf, astronaut Sally Ride, director Sidney Lumet, cardiologist Dr. Holly Anderson, and actor Spalding Gray. In conversations with the artist, the speakers reveal personal experiences that have demanded strength of mind and of body and have shaped their notions of courage and an individual’s place in society. As their testimonies weave a moving narrative of human behavior and personal mettle, their varied remarks illustrate the complexity of a concept whose definition is subject to our individual fears. For many of the speakers in Fear Not, courage connotes the exceptional, the recognition of fear and the ability to persevere. As Congressman John Lewis states, “Courage is the ability to sail against the wind.”
Commenting on Fear Not, Kleinberg says “I began this piece four years ago in wonder, curiosity and testimony to responses of such fullness of life from people experiencing extreme challenges – how to live with profound uncertainty, profound threat to their capacity to experience tomorrow. Now that includes us all.”
Kleinberg received a BA in Art & Philosophy from Pomona College in 1971, and her MA in Art from Hunter College, New York, in 1973. Her work has been featured in group exhibitions at P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center (1989) and The Museum of Modern Art (1985), as well as at the International Headquarters, Human Rights Watch, New York (1994); Venice Biennale, Italy (1995, 2001); and Venice Design Gallery, (2001).
P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center
Background:P.S.1 was founded in 1971 by Alanna Heiss as The Institute of Art and Urban Resources Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to the transformation of abandoned and underutilized buildings in New York City into exhibition, performance, and studio spaces for artists. P.S.1 became an affiliate of MoMA in 2000 and now operates two internationally acclaimed spaces for contemporary art: P.S.1 in Long Island City and The Clocktower Gallery in Tribeca, both of which contain museum-quality galleries and extensive studio facilities for the National and International Studio Program.
P.S.1 is one of the largest and oldest arts organizations in the United States solely devoted to contemporary art. Recognized as a defining force of the alternative space movement, P.S.1 stands out from major arts institutions in its cutting edge approach to exhibitions and direct involvement of artists within a scholarly framework. P.S.1 acts as an intermediary between the artist and its audience. Functioning as a living and active meeting place for the general public, P.S.1 is a catalyst for ideas, discourses and new trends in contemporary art. With its educational programs, P.S.1 assists the public in understanding art and provides the tools to appreciate contemporary art and its practices.
Funding:P.S.1 receives annual support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs towards operating costs. Programs of P.S.1 are supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, The Office of the President of the Borough of Queens, The Council of the City of New York, the P.S.1 Board of Directors, the New York State Council of the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional funding is provided by foundations, corporate and individual contributions, and membership and admission donations.
Directions:P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center is located just across the Queensboro Bridge from midtown Manhattan, at the intersection of Jackson and 46th Avenues, in Long Island City. It is easily accessible by bus and subway. Traveling by subway, visitors should take either E or F to 23 Street-Ely Avenue; the 7 to 45 Road-Courthouse Square; or the G to Court Square or 21 Street-Van Alst. They may also take the Q67 bus to Jackson and 46th Avenues or the B61 to Jackson Avenue.
Hours and P.S.1 is open from Noon to 6:00 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. Admission is a
Admission:$5.00 suggested donation; $2.00 for students and senior citizens; members free.
Web Sites:www.ps1.org
For more information, please contact the P.S.1 Press Office: William Murray or Carolyn Bane T: (718) 784-2084 ext. 27/ F: (718) 482-9454/ e-mail: press@ps1.org.
For information on the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), please contact Daniela Carboneri, Department of Communications, at (212) 708-9747.