five international curators and critics will discuss their views at
Global Compass, a free public symposium to be held on Friday, November
9, and Saturday, November 10.
Cleveland Plain Dealer art and architecture critic Steven Litt will
moderate the discussions, which will be held in the West Auditorium of
Oberlin College's Science Center, beginning at 1:30 p.m. on Friday.
The event will conclude with a reception at 6 p.m. Saturday at the
College's Allen Memorial Art Museum.
Five distinguished speakers will each speak for one hour, exploring
how "the advent of digital communication, the reduction of
international barriers, and the rise of an international economy have
changed the rules of art forever," says John Pearson, Oberlin's
Young-Hunter Professor of Studio Art, who planned the symposium.
"By the end of the 20th century, contemporary art had truly become
global in scope," says Pearson. "New York could no longer claim its
distinction as the major center of 'new art.' Indeed, the 'new'
contemporary art was proliferating internationally.
"London, Berlin, Leipzig, Beijing, Tokyo, and other cities became
centers of creative explosion. Further, the 'new art' did not appear
to have just one major movement – one set of attitudes – that could
claim center stage. 'New art' had become multicultural, multifaceted,
and multiconceptual.
"The loosening of economic, cultural, political, and social-system
boundaries – globalization – had broadened creative possibilities, or
perhaps the very definition of art, to challenge and inspire artists
everywhere," Pearson says.
riday, November 9
1:30 - 2:30 pm - Hans Ulrich Obrist
2:30 - 3:30 pm - Roger McDonald
3:30 - 4:30 pm - Steve Litt
4:30 - 5:30 pm - Q&A
Saturday, November 10
10:00 - 11:00 am - Roberta Smith
11:00 - Noon - Chrissie Iles
12:15 - 1:30 pm - Lunch
1:45 - 2:45 pm - Kay Heymer
2:45 - 3:30 pm - Q&A
3:45 - 5:45 pm - Panel discussion with further question time
(moderated by Hans Ulrich Obrist)
6:00 - 7:30 pm - Reception, Allen Memorial Art Museum (East Gallery)
[excerpted from Oberlin Online, "News and Features" November 5, 2007 &
www.oberlin.edu/amam/GlobalCompass.htm.]
