Claremont Museum of Art Presents Exhibitions Multiverse and The Passerby Museum

(December 15, 2008) — The Claremont Museum of Art is pleased to present Multiverse, a conceptually-driven exhibition dealing with physics, cosmology, natural phenomena, and philosophy, from September 21, 2008 to February 1, 2009.

banner-multiverse — Kerry Tribe, Still from Northern Lights (Cambridge), 2005; 16mm color film with optical sound, 4 min.; Courtesy of the artist and 1301PE, Los Angeles Carter Mull, Ground, 2006; Office jet prints, Galaxy holographic film, aerosol paint; Courtesy of the artist, Marc Foxx, Los Angeles and Rivington Arms, New York Violet Hopkins, Temple of Aphrodite & Hermes, 2007; Colored pencil and acrylic ink on archival paper, Courtesy of the artist and David Kordansky Gallery, Miler Lagos, The woman clothed with the sun, and seven-headed dragon (detail), 2007; From the series CIMIENTO; Printed paper; Collection of Enrique Guerrero, Mexico City

Multiverse refers to the hypothesis that all of physical reality actually exists within a set of multiple, parallel universes, of which our universe is merely one part. The possibility of many universes raises a myriad of scientific, philosophical and theological questions that have been explored in various branches of theoretical science, disciplines of thought and fiction. Multiverse will explore these issues artistically in a dynamic exhibition featuring photographic installations, mixed media sculptures, video projections, a light box installation, and sculpture from paper, among other media.

Artists continually create a visual vocabulary for themselves that parallels and portrays an idealized, imagined or fantasized reality. Nature and its mysteries provide endless departure points for fictitious imagery that is recognizable enough to have relevance, yet abstract enough to interrupt familiarity and probe deeper into our psyches. From chimera to corporeality, Multiverse delves into alternative outcomes for the universe we believe exists in singularity. “This exhibition represents the Museum’s interest in ideas that connect the arts and artists to contemporary thinking and points-of-view,” said CMA Director William Moreno. “Exploring these provocative ideas creates an opportunity for interdisciplinary discourse.”

Participating artists include Sebastiaan Bremer (New York), Jedediah Caesar (Los Angeles), Emilie Halpern (Los Angeles), Violet Hopkins (Los Angeles), Emre Hüner (Istanbul, Turkey), Miler Lagos (Bogotá, Colombia), Nancy Macko (Claremont), Carter Mull (Los Angeles), Diane Thater (Los Angeles), Fred Tomaselli (New York), and Kerry Tribe (Los Angeles). Multiverse artists will engage in an email exchange with local scholars, discussing particular areas of science, psychology or the discipline of his/her choice, which will then be incorporated into the exhibition. Multiverse is curated by Pilar Tompkins

The Passerby Museum

The Passerby Museum makes its Southern California debut in Claremont! Created in 2002 by María Alós and Nicolás Dumit Estévez in New York City, the Passerby Museum is an itinerant institution dedicated to presenting temporary exhibitions in different cities. The museum draws its collection from donations from people who visit, work or live where it is in operation at any given time.

The Passerby Museum has been presented in Madrid, Spain, Puebla, México, Kitchener, Canada, New York, New York and twice in México City, Mexico and Havana, Cuba. At each location, visitors were asked to donate any random object from their life to The Passerby Museum’s “collection.” The only requirement is that the object fit into a sandwich bag. Its collection – which currently holds about 3,000 objects – has been exhibited to the public
in two occasions, last time in 2006, bringing more than 32,000 visitors to the Galería del Ayuntamiento (Puebla) in less than a month and a half.

The Passerby Museum will be collecting items from visitors in Claremont for two weeks before the installation at the Claremont Museum of Art, at various locations near the Museum September 6 – 10. The installation will include each of the approximately 3,000 items collected at all of the locations so far. “It will be so interesting to see what the average citizen from Claremont has in his/her pocket, versus someone in New York versus someone in Havana,” said the Claremont Museum of Art Curator Pilar Tompkins. “Every single contribution is valued the same, so every time the project is exhibited, every single object is included.”

About the Museum

The Claremont Museum of Art, located 30 miles east of Downtown Los Angeles, seeks to serve the public as a museum of international significance and breadth. Continuing Claremont’s artistic legacy, the Museum engages artists and audiences through compelling exhibitions and educational programs.

In addition to a wide-ranging slate of exhibitions, the museum features an eclectic store offering contemporary and unexpected gifts from around the world. A comprehensive selection of educational programming and events is offered for all ages. The Claremont Museum of Art is an independent, tax-exempt organization.