Opening Reception: Excavating History Exhibition at IMSS

Amber Ginsburg, "Knob"

Opening Reception and Performances for

BODY OF WORK: The Excavating History Collective in Residence at the International Museum of Surgical Science

The International Museum of Surgical Science (IMSS) is pleased to present BODY OF WORK: The Excavating History Collective in Residence, an exhibition of historically inspired site-specific artistic interventions including sculpture, painting, installation, video, sound, and literary works, as well as a series of public programs, from October 22 through December 31, 2011.

The exhibition opening on October 22, with a free reception featuring performances, and the first public program, Interdisciplinary Investigations: Art & Science on October 23, will occur during Chicago Artists Month 2011, exemplifying this year's theme of Artful Networks, which highlights the communities that nurture and inspire Chicago artists.

The Excavating History Collective is a group of artists, founded by Chicago sculptor and writer Rebecca Keller, who use research into historic sites to unearth unexpected meanings and generate artworks that enlarge our understanding of what these places represent.

For the BODY OF WORK exhibition at the International Museum of Surgical Science, Keller has assembled eleven artists—eight in Chicago, plus others in San Francisco, New York, and Belgium—to create new pieces inspired by the past, present, and future of medicine; the Museum's development, collections, and exhibits; and the design, original residents, and physical structure of its historic landmark mansion, built in 1917 as a home for eminent Chicagoan Eleanor Robinson Countiss and her family.

See full exhibition listing.

RSVP for the opening reception on Facebook.

RELATED EVENT

Interdisciplinary Investigations: Art and Science

Sunday, October 23, from 1 to 3 pm 

This program—open to the general public but especially geared to those with backgrounds in medicine or science—comprises a collaborative tour of the BODY OF WORK exhibition, during which the Excavating History artists will discuss their research and the inspirations for their particular artworks, and invited medical practitioners will provide commentary on the works from the perspective of their professions. Free with Museum admission. RSVP for this event on Facebook.

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS

Liene Bosque

Joseph G. Cruz

Kristin Ginger

Amber Ginsburg

Elise Goldstein and Meredith Zielke

Maral Hashemi

Annie Heckman

Rebecca Hernandez

Rebecca Keller

Erin Obradovich

Briana Schweizer

CHICAGO ARTISTS MONTH

The BODY OF WORK exhibition and related Excavating History events at IMSS in October are part of Chicago Artists Month 2011, the sixteenth annual celebration of Chicago's vibrant visual art community presented by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture. For more information, visit www.chicagoartistsmonth.org.