303 Gallery presents new photographs, sculptures and lightboxes by Doug Aitken.
Doug Aitken’s new work expands his fractured merger of mediums and information systems. These works combine light, sculpture, moving images and sound. For example, “don’t think twice II’, is made up of two over lapping concentric circles that proceed through an animated sequence, another neon is a free standing diamond shaped sculpture that gives the impression of motion. By stripping away traditional representational imagery, these works get to the essence of a moment. Elements of sound are bought into Aitken’s sculpture in an interactive drum table called “k-n-o-c-k-o-u-t” that visitors are welcome to play. This kind of social structure and the way the viewer becomes part of the work is central to Aitken;s vision. ‘wilderness’ is a wall- mounted field of kinetic steel panels that reflect and shift a kaleidoscopic image of the room, creating a fractured, broken narrative of our surroundings. Aitken’s new light box, ‘disappear’ is comprised of 9 letters, each containing a barren airplane graveyard, spelling out the title. The airplanes do not disappear, but become an inescapable permanent fixture in our landscape.
Doug Aitken will also show new photographs that consider collective unity and anonymity in contemporary large-scale communities. A series of interwoven collages will also give insight into the artist’s working process.
Running from January 16 – February 12, 2007 Doug Aitken will exhibit “sleepwalkers”, a nighttime installation comprised of seven large scale moving images projected on the facades of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, a joint project with Creative Time.
This year Doug Aitken released “Broken Screen”, his book of interviews with 26 artists pushing the limits of linear narrative. The project inspired two “happening” events in Los Angeles and New York. Aitken has had recent exhibitions at the ARC Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, the Henry Art Gallery at the University of Washington, Seattle. Aitken has one person exhibitions at the Louisiana Museum, Denmark Centre Pompidou, Musée national d'art moderne et l'lrcam, Paris 2001. His installation "electric earth" was one of the highlights of the Whitney Museum of American Art Biennial, 2000 and was awarded the International Prize at the Venice Biennale, 1999.