Krzysztof Wodiczko: Portrait

Explore the state of democracy today through a commissioned artwork by internationally renowned artist Krzysztof Wodiczko, presented at the Harvard Art Museums in partnership with the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. Pre-recorded video interviews capturing voices and opinions from across the political spectrum will activate the Harvard Art Museums’ iconic portrait of George Washington (c. 1795) by Gilbert Stuart, fostering an exchange of views and responses at this time of heightened political division.

In conjunction with the Portrait commission, two drawings by Wodiczko that were recently acquired by the museums will also be on display. The works are studies from the artist’s Homeless Vehicles series, created in the late 1980s in consultation with individuals experiencing homelessness and as a critique of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan’s economic policies.

Curated by Mary Schneider Enriquez, Houghton Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Harvard Art Museums.

This exhibition is made possible by the Graham Gund Exhibition Fund, held jointly by the Harvard Art Museums and the Harvard University Graduate School of Design.

In its own galleries, the Graduate School of Design will present a career-spanning look at Wodiczko’s work, Interrogative Design: Selected Works of Krzysztof Wodiczko, from October 21, 2021 through February 20, 2022. Before visiting, please visit the GSD’s website for up-to-date information on public access to the school’s galleries.