Mar 26 - May 20, 2022
Showroom/Soft Network, New York, NY
Organized by Sara VanDerBeek/Soft Network
Li Harris & Alisha B Wormsley, Susan Brockman, Kamau Amu Patton, Stan VanDerBeek, Alisha B Wormsley, Rosemary Mayer
Soft Network’s Spring programming, Future Variations, will be presented at Showroom, an experimental, collaborative space shared between artist estate leaders, art historians, artists and fashion workers, allowing for opportunities to build direct and indirect conversations between cultural platforms. Future Variations includes artwork and ephemera from select resident estates and archives combined with contributions by contemporary artists organized by visual artist and co-founder of Soft Network, Sara VanDerBeek.
Events
Installation of Rosemary Mayer’s Portae
As part of the exhibition “Future Variations” at Showroom, the Estate of Rosemary Mayer will install one of Mayer’s lesser-known sculptures, Portae, from 1974. This is the first installation of the work since it was originally exhibited soon after it was made.
This installation of Portae at Showroom highlights some of recent work and ongoing research of the Estate of Rosemary Mayer. Alongside the sculpture, the estate will also present ephemera that provide insight into the process—from the material research to replace lost materials to studying drawings, writings and photographs to understand Mayer’s intent. Aligning with the mission of Showroom and its adjacent studio, this installation gives visibility to the work of the artist’s estate through the collective realization of a historical piece, while also creating an opportunity to reconsider the artist’s legacy and archive. This process of reconstruction, reinterpretation and reenactment of historical material that is a part of working with Mayer’s estate also complements the work of other participating artists in Future Variations such as Kamau Amu Patton, Sara VanDerBeek and Alisha B. Wormsley, who are re-imagining past works of their own and of others.
Installation Views
The Estate of Rosemary Mayer installing Portae. Photo by Sara VanDerBeek.
Portae, 1974. Wood, oil paint, aluminum, polyester. 100 x 210 x 36 inches.
Photos by Marie Warsh.