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Creativity on the Common: An Uncommon Experience
Spend any amount time in the Seaport, and you’ll quickly recognize that creativity is at the heart of this vibrant community. Art permeates the district, from contemporary architecture and stunning green spaces to captivating public exhibitions.
In 2016, the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston embarked on a new public project, Seaport Common Art Series. The series features representations of works from the ICA’s nationally-acclaimed exhibitions and collection. This year-long collaboration brings representations of the ICA’s work out of the gallery and into public spaces, resulting in an incredible juxtaposition of thought-provoking works set against the backdrop of everyday life.
The first installment, running from April to July of 2016, was inspired by the works of Geoffrey Farmer and his collaboration with the designer Chad Kloepfer to create new works inspired by the process of color printing. The result was a series of vibrant images, broken down to reveal the individual colors embedded within Farmer’s work. Industrial chain link fencing served as an inventive backdrop for the bold imagery, creating an unlikely, yet delightful, pairing of utility and artistry.
The next installment, First Light: A Decade of Collecting at the ICA, ran until January of this year, and was a celebration of the ICA’s incredible acquisitions. Drawn entirely from the museum collection, the exhibition highlighted both major singular works and thematic groupings of work by diverse artists.
Drawing influence from both the Geoffrey Farmer fencing exhibition and First Light, the ICA developed Object Project, a special program exploring the idea of collecting. The fence was hung with beautiful photography and personal stories surrounding the collected objects of noteworthy Bostonians. Realizing that we all collect, the ICA invited visitors to participate in the exhibit by sharing their own collections on blank boards positioned at either end of the installment.
The final rotation is drawn from the ICA’s upcoming exhibition, Nari Ward: Sun Splashed, which will be on view later this spring.. This exciting exhibition will utilize varied, unlikely materials and media to create ambitiously scaled artworks. Sun Splashed explores a broad range of themes including African-American history and the dynamics of power and politics.
This dynamic series highlights the visceral connection between community, artistry and the often-overlooked details of our daily surroundings. In this stunning collaboration with the ICA, Seaport has, once again, shown its heart.