Brad Kahlhamer, Survival Chandelier KC, 2018, Mixed media, 46 x 36in (photo courtesy of the artist and Venus Over Manhattan, New York).
Three City University of New York (CUNY) art galleries—the Shirley Fiterman Art Center at Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC); the Lehman College Art Gallery and the Hall of Fame Art Gallery at Bronx Community College (BCC)—are co-presenting an exhibition, “Incandescence,” that traces the motif of the chandelier in contemporary art, as it provokes questions related to consumerism, populism and more.
An opening reception will be held at BMCC’s Shirley Fiterman Art Center, 81 Barclay Street, New York, NY 10007 on September 5 from 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibition will be available for viewing at BMCC through January 4, 2025. The hours of the Shirley Fiterman Art Center are from Wednesday through Saturday from 12 to 5 p.m., and by appointment, by contacting ShirleyFitermanArtCenter@bmcc.cuny.edu or (212) 776-5631.
An opening reception will be held at the Lehman College Art Gallery, 250 Bedford Park West (Fine Arts Building), Bronx, NY on September 18 from 5 to 8 p.m. and will be on view through January 18.
An opening reception will be held at the BCC’s Hall of Fame Art Gallery at BCC2155 University Avenue (Bliss Hall), Bronx NY, on Thursday, October 17 from 12 to 3 p.m. and the exhibition will be on view there through January 24.
The exhibition features a 140-page fully illustrated catalog, and was curated by Lisa Panzera of BMCC’s Shirley Fiterman Art Center, Patricia Cazorla of the Hall of Fame Art Gallery at BCC and Bartholomew Bland of the Lehman College Art Gallery.
The exhibition’s 45 featured artists will explore the motif and meaning of the chandelier through sculptural forms, photography, painting, drawing, installation and video.
They include Deb Achak, Julie Allen, assume vivid astro focus, Liu Bolin, Andrea Bowers, John Bowman, Adrien Broom, Clare Celeste, Lily Cox-Richard, Petah Coyne, David Antonio Cruz, Deborah Czeresko, Marc Dennis, Lesley Dill, Lee Essex Doyle, Lauren Ewing, Gonzalo Fuenmayor, Sunil Garg, Kyungah Ham, Kirsten Hassenfeld, Julie Heffernan, Jean-Marc Hunt, Ran Hwang, Michiko Itatani, Ilya and Emilia Kabakov, Brad Kahlhamer, Beth Katleman, Philipp Lachenmann, Jean Lowe, Kaoru Mansour, Virgil Marti, Lizbeth Mitty, Jonathan Monaghan, Andrew Moore, Matt Neff, Brian Oakes, Kayode Ojo, Carlos Rolón, Jeanne Silverthorne, Rachael Tarravechia, Barbara Earl Thomas, Karen Tompkins, Federico Uribe, Ken Weaver, Charlotta Westergren and Tim Wilson.
The chandelier as a motif sheds light on suppressed narratives
“The motif of the chandelier serves as a powerful vehicle for contemporary artists to provoke deeper questions about forms and concepts that both beguile and create friction,” says Director Panzera at BMCC.
“Many of the works included in this exhibition explore juxtapositions of luxury and oppression, consumerism and necessity, elitism and populism. The chandelier is used as a means of critique, while also celebrated as an object of desire, and can represent a metaphorical illumination of the dark corners of history or personal memories, or provide a means of shedding light on forgotten or suppressed narratives.”
A statement from all three curators explains that chandeliers were first developed in the medieval period and became increasingly opulent in the 18th century, featuring cascading strings of faceted glass and crystals which scattered light across the room. They decorated palaces, ballrooms and theaters. Originally, they employed candles and with the progression to oil and then gas lamps and finally electric lights, chandeliers became more accessible in the 20th century, appearing in public spaces and more modest homes and locations.
Funders supporting the exhibitions
Support for Incandescence: The Chandelier in Contemporary Art at Lehman College Art Gallery has been made possible in part by supporters including the Charina Foundation, Jarvis and Constance Doctorow Family Foundation, Edith and Herbert Lehman Foundation, Keith Haring Foundation, The Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation, Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, Art as a Third Dimension, New York State Council on the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and New York City Council Members Eric Dinowitz, Oswald Feliz, Kristy Marmorato, and Kevin C. Riley.
Gallery programing at Bronx Community College is supported in part by the Art and Music Fund of the BCC Association, Inc., the Art & Music Department, and the Office of Academic and Student Success.
