In celebration of its 15th anniversary in 2010, Artpace will mount an ambitious state-wide exhibition of 13 seminal billboards created by Cuban-born American artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres between 1989 and 1995. Developed with special permission from the Felix Gonzalez-Torres Foundation, this presentation will be the first-ever comprehensive survey of Gonzalez-Torres' billboard works in the United Stateshonoring his participation as a fellow in Artpace's inaugural International Artist-in-Hesidence Program, while commemorating Linda Pace's extraordinary gesture in founding Artpace to encourage public access to contemporary art in Texas.
Moving beyond the walls of the institution with this publicly-sited exhibition, Artpace aims to both capture the attention of cultural travelers and provide an enriching source of inspiration for the communities where the billboards will be installed. ArtPace has secured more than 20 locations throughout Texas where the images-including a hand extended, a bird in flight-will, as curator Robert Storr wrote in Artpace's initial catalogue New Works for a New Space (1995), "quietly make one wonder at the nuanced flux of time, contingent freedom, intimacy, and loss . . ." Situated deliberately in the public's path, these artworks gracefully interrupt our daily routines with poignant reflections on life, love, and humanity.
The transcendent quality of Gonzalez-Torres' work will be magnified in the Texas landscape-exporting Artpace's mission into the community and bringing art to areas without access to contemporary exhibitions. The billboards can be seen throughout the greater Dallas, El Paso, Houston, and San Antonio areas. Major underwriting for this anniversary-year Felix Gonzalez-Torres Billboard Exhibition is provided by the Linda Pace Foundation, with generous in-kind support from Clear Channel Outdoor.
ABOUT ARTPACE
Artpace San Antonio serves as a laboratory for the creation and advancement of international contemporary art. Artpace believes that art is a dynamic social force that inspires individuals and defines cultures. Our residencies, exhibitions, and education programs nurture the creative expression of emerging and established artists, while actively engaging youth and adult audiences.