I first came across Theaster Gates' work in a feature post by Arise. The exhibition that fascinated me most was The Listening Room, which was on exhibition at the Seattle Art Museum from December 2011 to July 2012.
The installation included a collection of vinyl albums, a DJ made out of an old church pew, and a record player. The vinyl albums were from Chicago's Dr Wax record store, once renowned for showcasing music by black recording artists. As part of the installation experience, the audience was invited to listen to the sounds of Martin Luther King Jr, James Brown and Isaac Brothers while examining a piece of work on the history of the Civil Rights movement.
Although I haven't been exposed to installations as much as I have been to fine art pieces and short films, I have a deep appreciation of this particular installation. The recycled old church pew and its symbolism as the center piece holding together the installation is very resonating. As an fan of "old music", I would have really enjoyed the experience of The Listening Room. Reading about this work has opened my eyes to the artistic value that installations can also have for an audience.
For more on the article by Arise, click here.
For more on Theaster Gates, visit his website here.
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