Artists Space

Local Transit:
An Exhibition in Two Parts

May 16 – June 24, 2006

Artists:

In New York: Ellen Birrell, Charles LaBelle, Marie Lorenz, Daniel Malone, Dane Mitchell, Mark Orange, Yuk King Tan, Ri Williamson, and Karla Wozniak.

In Auckland: Dan Arps, Kylie Duncan, Simon Esling, Jennie C. Jones, Jennifer Nocon, Sara Greenberger Rafferty, Blake Rayne, Sriwhana Spong, and Lisa Tan.

Curated by Brian Butler and Christian Rattemeyer.

Three red, orange, and green fabric rolls are arranged vertically on a white wall. Further along the wall, two marbled, gray and red sheets have been hung low on the wall such that their lower halves drape on the gallery floor.
Local Transit. Installation view, Artists Space, 2006. [Three red, orange, and green fabric rolls are arranged vertically on a white wall. Further along the wall, two marbled, gray and red sheets have been hung low on the wall such that their lower halves drape on the gallery floor.]

Local Transit—a two-part exhibition created in a partnership between Artspace (Auckland) and Artists Space (New York)—originates in the similar histories and functions these two non-profit arts organizations play in their respective communities, and capitalizes on their different locations to investigate the role of familiarity and difference in the reading of contemporary art. Each exhibition will operate as an international exchange of artists with a distinct local response, drawing parallels through exchange, making connections through reversals, and pondering ideas of familiarity through unfamiliarizing audiences. Local Transit engages with contradictions arising from positions of extreme centrality and periphery. Significantly, many of the artists presented engage with identity as manipulated by location rather than assuming cultural tropes. Forms of distancing and abandonment appear in several of their works, playing with mechanisms of localization and transit.

A corner made by two white walls. One wall has four framed images of yellow amorphus shapes on different backrounds, arranged in a horizontal line. The other wall has three framed images, one hung by itself and the other two stacked vertically.
Local Transit. Installation view, Artists Space, 2006. [A corner made by two white walls. One wall has four framed images of yellow amorphus shapes on different backrounds, arranged in a horizontal line. The other wall has three framed images, one hung by itself and the other two stacked vertically.]
A hallway with one gray wall and one white. On the gray wall, there are a series of drawings on white paper arranged in a 4x7 grid. On the white wall, there are four frames. Light is refracted on a third wall at the end of the hallway.
Local Transit. Installation view, Artists Space, 2006. [A hallway with one gray wall and one white. On the gray wall, there are a series of drawings on white paper arranged in a 4x7 grid. On the white wall, there are four frames. Light is refracted on a third wall at the end of the hallway.]
A gray wall with dozens of drawings arranged in rows of four. The drawings depict single buildings in black on white paper. In front of the wall, a gray object stands on a white plinth.
Local Transit. Installation view, Artists Space, 2006. [A gray wall with dozens of drawings arranged in rows of four. The drawings depict single buildings in black on white paper. In front of the wall, a gray object stands on a white plinth.]
A black, kayak-shaped sculpture is suspended from the ceiling in a gallery space. On either wall, there are black and white prints mimicking the structure of the boat.
Local Transit. Installation view, Artists Space, 2006. [A black, kayak-shaped sculpture is suspended from the ceiling in a gallery space. On either wall, there are black and white prints mimicking the structure of the boat.]
A large pile of string connected at one end to a tin can sits on a wooden gallery floor. On the wall to the right are two framed world maps in black and white.
Local Transit. Installation view, Artists Space, 2006. [A large pile of string connected at one end to a tin can sits on a wooden gallery floor. On the wall to the right are two framed world maps in black and white.]
A gallery space with two columns. One column is wrapped in an off-white fabric, the other in bright pink. There are four white plinths of various heights with gray objects on top. One of the surrounding walls has a long sheet of paper with a drawing of highway signs and a gas station on it; the other has colorful framed images.
Local Transit. Installation view, Artists Space, 2006. [A gallery space with two columns. One column is wrapped in an off-white fabric, the other in bright pink. There are four white plinths of various heights with gray objects on top. One of the surrounding walls has a long sheet of paper with a drawing of highway signs and a gas station on it; the other has colorful framed images.]
A long sheet of paper with a drawing of highway signs and a gas station on it hanging on a white wall. Hung above that are three paintings of logos.
Local Transit. Installation view, Artists Space, 2006. [A long sheet of paper with a drawing of highway signs and a gas station on it hanging on a white wall. Hung above that are three paintings of logos.]

Artists Space receives generous contributions from: Altria Group, Inc., Harriet Ames Charitable Trust, Lily Auchincloss Foundation, Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, Brownstone Family Foundation, Florence V. Burden Foundation, Carnegie Corporation, Inc., Cowles Charitable Trust, The Danielson Foundation, Elaine Dannheisser Foundation, Barbara and Richard Debs, Easton Foundation, Fifth Floor Foundation, Foundation for Contemporary Art, Gesso Foundation, Stephen A. and Diana L. Goldberg Foundation, Herman Goldman Foundation, The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, Greenwich Collection Ltd., The Tommy Hilfiger Corporate Foundation, Jerome Foundation, Virginia W. Kettering Fund, J.P. Morgan Chase, The MAT Charitable Foundation, NYU Community Fund, Betty Parsons Foundation, Puffin Foundation Ltd., The Reed Foundation, Romenesa Foundation, Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, Starry Night Fund of the Tides Foundation, The Strypemonde Foundation, Verizon Foundation, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts; and public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

Local Transit is supported, in part, by the Creative New Zealand.

    An image of a man sitting on a park bench is projected on a white wall. The man is holding a book open in his lap and is reaching into his breast pocket.
    Local Transit. Installation view, Artists Space, 2006. [An image of a man sitting on a park bench is projected on a white wall. The man is holding a book open in his lap and is reaching into his breast pocket.]