SITE Santa Fe – art out of the ordinary
I love SITE Santa Fe! It’s a terrific anchor in our active and growing Railyard, and it makes a great backdrop for the weekend artists’ market and the other galleries in the area.
It’s a wonderful space for viewing art, since the large and open design allows for major installations that require museum-sized dimensions. Its location also nicely complements the annual summer appearance of Art Santa Fe.
What I really love, though, is the work that is shown there. Since Santa Fe is said to be the third-largest art market in the U.S., it is important that the city bulwark its position with an institution that is ready, willing and able to show works that may not fit comfortably into the mold of what generally sells here in the Southwest.
Talking Pictures, the exhibition currently showing through January 10, 2010, is a perfect example of SITE’s mission. SITE’s size is perfect, as there needs to be some space in-between works that “talk at you,” allowing the essence of the work to sink in. We saw the exhibit with our 9-year-old grand-daughter, who having already seen the show with her school (yes!!! art in the schools!!!) was very excited to serve as our gallery guide. She could not have been more enthusiastic, and the gallery guides themselves were happy to engage with her, intelligently cultivating their future audience.
So You Wanna Be an Artist, huh?
I particularly enjoyed the 1993 work entitled Soft Sell, by Diller + Scofidio, a thought-provoking commentary that had some funny and slightly discomfiting resonance on Black Friday. So You Wanna Be An Artist, a video by Nic Nicosia, should spark a laugh or two for anyone who has ever experienced a gallery rejection.
Take time to wander through this show on the next trip to the Railyard, and remember that SITE is free on Fridays – even my grand-daughter knew that!
