Undoing Time
“Undoing Time: Art and Histories of Incarceration” considers the foundational roots of confinement from an art historical perspective to better understand the fact that today’s mass incarceration crisis is centuries in the making. The exhibition explores how images throughout time contribute to entrenched cultural beliefs associated with today’s carceral system and includes 12 commissioned artworks from nationally acclaimed contemporary artists whose work combines history, research and storytelling in material form. The exhibit also features work from 2 New Orleans based artists and will host a number of engaging activities for public participation throughout the run of the show.
“Undoing Time” will open with a weekend full of activities:
Friday, March 31, 6:30pm-8:00pm - Vernissage, Member and VIP Tour
Join exhibition curators Miki Garcia, ASU Art Museum director and Julio César Morales, Executive Director and Co-Chief Curator, Museum of Contemporary Art Tucson, for a special tour of Undoing Time. Space is limited, click here to register. Membership at the CAC supports our mission to celebrate contemporary visual and performing artists of the Gulf South region. Not a member? Contact Megan Koza Mitchell to renew your membership or Join Online Today.
Saturday, April 1, 6:00pm-10:00pm - First Saturday Opening Celebration
Join us for an evening of engaging art, libations and music as we celebrate the opening of the phenomenal show during the Arts District New Orleans First Saturday Art Walk. Lil Jodeci, a New Orleans based DJ and producer, created a musical score, “Crying Is Dead,” that responds to the work in the exhibition. “Crying Is Dead” is a compilation of abolitionist speeches, ambient sounds, political songs and house music. This event is free and open to the public, however, registration is recommended.
Sunday, April 2, 12:30pm-1:30pm - Exhibition Tour
Join exhibition curators Miki Garcia, ASU Museum director, and Julio César Morales, Executive Director and Co-Chief Curator, Museum of Contemporary Art Tucson, for a special tour of Undoing Time. This exhibition tour is Free for all Louisiana residents courtesy of the Helis Foundation’s ART FOR ALL. This event is open to the public, however, registration is recommended.
Sunday, April 2, 2:00pm-3:30pm - Panel Discussion
Join us for a panel discussion with Miki Garcia, ASU Art Museum director, Julio César Morales, ASU senior curator and New Orleans based artists kai lumumba barrow and Bianca Walker, moderated by Interim Program Manager Renee Royale. This panel is Free for all Louisiana Residents courtesy of The Helis Foundation ART FOR ALL. Space is limited, click here to register.
“Undoing Time” was originally organized by Miki Garcia, ASU Art Museum director; Heather Sealy Lineberry, ASU curator emeritus; Matthew Villar Miranda, ASU-LACMA Fellow; and Julio César Morales, Executive Director and Co-Chief Curator, Museum of Contemporary Art Tucson, and features artists; Carolina Aranibar-Fernández, Juan Brenner, Sandra de la Loza, Ashley Hunt, Raven Chacon, Cannupa Hanska Luger, Michael Rohd, Paul Rucker, Xaviera Simmons, Stephanie Syjuco, Vincent Valdez and Mario Ybarra Jr. The artists in the exhibition invest in community collaboration, work in an expansive range of media and rethink traditional archival research to consider how artistic expression reveals the underlying logics of criminality and correction.
This nationally-touring exhibition will also feature New Orleans based artists kai lumumba barrow and Bianca Walker.
Xaviera Simmons, “Skin Hunger,” 2021, photographs, videos, animations, paintings. On view in “Undoing Time: Art and Histories of Incarceration” at the ASU Art Museum. Photo by Craig Smith.
Cannupa Hanska Luger, “The ruin of Dominion (And other Gods we never named),” 2021, ceramic and fiber installation.
Stephanie Syjuco, “Shutter/Release,” 2021, 27 dye photographic sublimation prints on aluminum. On view in “Undoing Time: Art and Histories of Incarceration” at the ASU Art Museum. Photo by Craig Smith.
Vincent Valdez, “Nothin’ to see here, keep on movin!”, 2021, paintings, works on paper, bronze sculpture. On view in “Undoing Time: Art and Histories of Incarceration” at the ASU Art Museum. Photo by Craig Smith.
Mario Ybarra Jr., “Personal, Small, Medium, Large, Family,” 2021, custom stage facade with videos, photographic wallpaper, framed photographs, 3 aluminum pizza pans, hand-painted canvas signs, wood. On view in “Undoing Time: Art and Histories of Incarceration” at the ASU Art Museum. Photo by Craig Smith.
Sandra de la Loza, “Unsettling the Settled: Archival Glimpses of Abolitionist Futures,” 2021–ongoing, two-channel video, works on paper, light boxes. On view in “Undoing Time: Art and Histories of Incarceration” at the ASU Art Museum. Photo by Craig Smith.
The CAC’s presentation of “Undoing Time: The Art & Histories of Incarceration,” is made possible through the generous support of Art for Justice Fund, a sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors; The Andrew Mellon Foundation; and The Helis Foundation; and in partnership with the Arizona State University Art Museum. This exhibition is supported, in part, by a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council. Funding has also been provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.
The ASU Art Museum's presentation of “Undoing Time: Art and Histories of Incarceration” was made possible with additional support from the ASU Art Museum's International Residency Program and the Windgate Foundation Endowment, Olga Viso and Cameron Gainer, Cloth and Flame, the Flinn Foundation and La Bohemia.
Programming and Exhibitions at the Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans are made possible through generous support from: The Andrew Mellon Foundation; Art for Justice Fund, a sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors; The Helis Foundation, the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Foundation; National Endowment for the Arts; Greater New Orleans Foundation Impact Fund; The Welch Foundation; The RosaMary Foundation; Greater New Orleans Foundation; the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council; Eugenie and Joseph Jones Family Foundation; National Performance Network; New England Foundation for the Arts; Josephine Whitney Nixon; Baton Rouge Area Foundation; Foley Family Charitable Fund; New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation; Rittenberg Family Foundation; Coughlin Saunders Foundation, Inc.; The Freeman-Woollam Foundation; the Poeyfarre Fund; Nurhan Gokturk; George & Milly Denegre Fund; I. William & Jane L; Marrero Land Improvement Association; Virginia Wise & Kevin Wilkins Fund; CAC President’s Council members: Valerie Besthoff, Susan & Ralph Brennan, Dathel & Thomas Coleman, Robyn Dunn Schwarz & Andrew Schwarz, Aimée & Michael Siegel, Staci Rosenberg, Jane B. & Rodney Steiner, MK Wegmann & Lisa Mount, Dian & Tom Winingder, David Workman; and CAC Silver Circle members: Virginia Besthoff & Nancy Aronson, Jessica Bride & Nick Mayor, Leslie & Jonathan Fawer, John Foley, Tina Freeman & Philip Woollam, Marcy H. Monrose Curtis & Charles Curtis, Gina Monette, Greg Montgomery, Barbara & Biff Motley, Robin Rankin, Michael Schneider, Sharron Silvers, Jane & I. William Sizeler, and Gretchen & Scott R. Wheaton. We are also grateful for the generous in-kind support from The Shop at the CAC, The Domain Companies; Corporate Realty, and Selina Catahoula New Orleans; as well as our community partners: Mr. Wolf Espresso & Books; Prospect New Orleans; and Arts District New Orleans.