Artblog | ica

February 24, 2020 by Levi Bentley

The metal ballet of ‘Ballast & Barricades’ at Philadelphia’s Institute of Contemporary Art

Levi Bentley visits the Institute of Contemporary Art in University City to review Michelle Lopez’s new exhibition, Ballast & Barricades, which closes on May 10, 2020.

February 12, 2020 by Alex Smith

The diversity of Blackness, L. Graciella Miaotalesi’s ‘The(se) Black Experience(s)’

Alex Smith speaks with L. Graciella Miaotalesi about the curated series The(se) Black Experience(s) which explores the myriad of Black lived experiences and aims to address issues of imposter syndrome that may arise for Black people navigating spaces of identity.

February 26, 2019 by Andrea Kirsh

Cecilia Vicuña’s marvels in About to Happen at the Institute of Contemporary Art

In her review of Cecilia Vicuña exhibition, Andrea Kirsh calls the works — little cobbled-together objects tacked to the walls or arrayed on a low platform on the floor — marvels. But these objects are not nothings to throw away but objects with magical shadows and poetic meanings, and their mystery delights.

December 17, 2018 by Artblog

Cauleen Smith’s Universe, Give It or Leave It, Honorable Mention Essay, 2018 New Art Writers Contest!

Dear readers, as we publish the cash prize and honorable mention winners in the 2018 New Art Writers Contest, we’d like to thank everyone who took the time to share their writing with us and congratulate all the winners! This year’s turnout was truly encouraging and we can’t wait to share the “Best of the New Art Writing Contest Anthology” book with you in 2019. Thanks also to Mari Shaw, whose generosity and support of local art writing allowed us to offer our biggest prizes to date.

July 26, 2018 by Roberta

Welcome, Anne Ishii, New Executive Director, Asian Arts Initiative, Imani Roach speaks at Institute of Contemporary Art, and two good reads!

Summertime! Time for new appointments to take their place; time for reading and enjoying it; time to go to a talk or two in a cool museum. Read all about it!

November 8, 2016 by guest writer

Paper Louise Tiny Fishman Rock at the ICA – 2016 New Art Writing Challenge Finalist

Size can create competition in some shows, larger works demanding more attention than small, but these more typical relationships were somehow absent from this show. Holes were drilled into the sides of display armatures, perfectly framing a small Fishman sculpture covered in paint, encouraging the viewer to look. You did not get the sense that you were supposed to spend less time looking at the smaller things.

October 22, 2016 by Donald Hunt

Challenging the Ear – A Recital for Terry Adkins at FringeArts

Composer and electronic music pioneer George Lewis (a MacArthur and Guggenheim Fellowship recipient) took it upon himself to continue the dialogue he shared with the late artist, performer, and multi-instrumentalist Terry Adkins in the way he knew would be most appropriate–a recital.

October 13, 2016 by Andrea Kirsh

Chicago Shine – The Freedom Principle at the ICA

Over the past couple of decades, almost all American art museums have claimed a mission to reach out to “underserved communities,” yet none of them have acknowledged that these communities have their own well-developed aesthetics of art and material culture. They differ from the mainstream, and the institutions have not been willing to embrace aesthetic values beyond their own. The first part of “The Freedom Principle” is remarkable for doing just that: exhibiting art–and music–that was selected by a group of artists largely excluded from the mainstream of their period, who developed a different set of aesthetic aspirations and standards.