Chico macmurtrie biography of barack

Art Basel, Unlimited
June 13–16,
Messeplatz 10,
Basel, Switzerland​​

The Gallery’s participation in the Unlimited presentation at Art Basel further exemplified a dedication to pushing the boundaries of contemporary art both conceptually and physically.

Coco Fusco’s newest sculptural work, Tin Man of the Twenty-First Century, made in collaboration with artist Chico MacMurtrie, parodies grandiose representations of political leaders that adorn public spaces. Fusco’s ten-foot tall depiction of President Donald Trump resembles the Tin Woodman character from the film The Wizard of Oz. While the film character may have been overly sentimental, his behavior can also be interpreted as petulant and self-centered, adding another layer of symbolism to the sculpture.

About Tin Man of the Twenty-First Century, Fusco has stated: “The November election was a watershed moment for me. I sensed that our country would be changed forever. A very different concept of presidential power was ushered in, one that has affected every aspect of social, political and cultural life in America and the rest of the world.”

Tin Man of the Twenty-First Century was first shown in in Twilight, Coco Fusco’s solo exhibition at the Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota, Florida

About Unlimited
Curated by New York-based curator Gianni Jetzer, Unlimited is Art Basel’s pioneering exhibition platform for projects that transcend the classical art-show stand, including massive sculpture and paintings, video projections, large-scale installations, and live performances.

Chico MacMurtrie: Border Crossers: Part 2

The heavily militarized Mexican-American border stands rigid and harsh as a direct reflection of separation, a symbol of pain and suffering to many. One moment it towers silent and strict, in the next, however, a mechanical hum fills the tense air as something begins to grow. An organic figure begins to extend itself over the fencing, nearly missing the sharp edges, the structure extends itself down toward the dry ground of the Mexican side.

This bridging body is the fantastic dream of award-winning artist Chico MacMurtrie. The Brooklyn based artist is known for his amorphic robotic sculptures and installations. The University of Michigan community was introduced to Mr. MacMurtrie’s inspirational project of the Border Crossers this past Friday during an event hosted by the University of Michigan Museum of Art and the Institute for the Humanities. The event included not only a spectacle performance by the Border Crosser piece but a short lecture by Mr. MacMurtrie himself.

Mr. MacMurtrie and the Institute for the Humanities recruited a student work team to participate in the creation of a version of his Border Crosser. Hailing from a variety of majors and representing the wide diversity of thought cultivated within the University community, these students came together effectively to illustrate the potential impact and success crossing borders can catalyze. Though the project was daunting, and in the words of Mr. MacMurtrie “if you’re making things move, they are going to break”, the group pushed beyond the obstacles to create the mechanized sculpture. Even with the wind ripping a hole in the inflatable encapsulation of the sculpture, the presentation was successful in proving its point. Borders are meant to be crossed, often to produce a greener land in between.

During the lecture, however, the provocation of human thought and creativity was not limited to the impressive an

February 8–April 27,

Pratt Manhattan Gallery
West 14th Street, Second Floor
New York, NY

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Artists: U-Ram Choe, Casey Curran, Chico MacMurtrie, Reuben Margolin, Meridith Pingree, Alan Rath, Adriana Salazar, Björn Schülke, Che-Wei Wang, Zimoun

Co-curators:Nick Battis, Director of Exhibitions; and Linda Lauro Lazin, Adjunct Associate Professor, Digital Arts 

The artists represented in this exhibition create kinetic sculptures that echo the movement of natural forms and explore human experiences. Their sculptures move with elegant and articulated gestures that are powered by hand, plug-in electricity, and solar cells.

Through their work, the artists included in Kinesthetics: Art Imitating Life investigate various aspects of movement and how it relates to life, to a visual language, to math and time, and to our own biological and emotional rhythms. Some examine movement in nature by re-animating specimens of plant and animal forms, while others tap into our culture’s anxiety about and fascination with technology. Other sculptures mimic human creative endeavors such as mark making and sound making or replicate ordinary, everyday tasks such as tying shoelaces. With the use of technology, many of the artists in this exhibition are able to subvert the predictability of motion prevalent in traditional mobiles and outdoor kinetic works.

Kinesthetics: Art Imitating Life is akin to a choreographed performance. Each of the sculptures in the exhibition reveal a kind of persona that evolves over time: some playful, some pensive, some menacing, each unique. Are these mysterious characters alive? These hybrid works combine elements from the natural world with mechanical parts such as wires, motors, strings, pulleys, hydraulics, and high tensile fabric. And yet they have begun to transcend their artificiality. Their gestures are no longer the gestures of clumsy automata. Their movement has become g