Heather Pesanti Becomes Head Of Buffalo's Albright Knox Gallery

People relying on this blog for up to date info on everything should realise that this is a small operation and lots of things fall through the cracks.

"Heather Pesanti, Carnegie Museum of Art assistant curator of contemporary art, will leave the museum in October to become curator at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, N.Y., a museum known for its fine collection of modern and contemporary art.

Pesanti joined the Carnegie in 2005 to assist with "Life on Mars," the 2008 Carnegie International, curated by Douglas Fogle, Carnegie curator of contemporary art. She curated "Forum 58: Jonathan Borofsky -- Human Structures" and "Forum 60: Rivane Neuenschwander" at the Carnegie."

The revolving door at the Carnegie has likely just begun to spin. I wonder if Heather might help build alliances between The Albright Knox and the Carnegie. I would imagine both institutions have similar issues in terms of having strong collections and large facilities that reflect their once wealthy heritage.

Heather was the primary Carnegie curator that did studio visits with local artists and played an active role in curating local shows like a Gestures show at the Matress Factory and the recent show at Unsmoke in Braddock.

Life on Mars - Rivane Neuenschwander + Thomas Hirschhorn

By far, Rivane Neuenschwander's I Wish Your Wish is the most popular work in this year's International. During my visit to the Carnegie Museum, I passed this piece several times. There was always a crowd gathered around it, sorting through the ribbons to find the one sentiment that matched their own wish.



It is a visually appealing work, with its bright, sun-drenched colors. Installed in the main entrance to the building, it faces a glass wall, so the lighting was full on.

The other piece that I have heard widely acclaimed is Thomas Hirschhorn's Cavemanman. I really wasn't going to mention Cavemanman since it is not a work that I find intriguing. But it was obviously well traversed and several artists that I know here in Pittsburgh were thrilled to see it or were looking forward to seeing it when they visit Life on Mars.



What the inclusion of this piece demonstrates to me is that the curator is offering the fullest exploration of the theme within the art sphere that he is most knowledgeable about. That does not mean that everybody is going to feel in accord with all of the expressions of the theme.

Now, with that disclaimer out of the way, I will say that I found this piece to be too blunt. I prefer work that is asking questions. Cavemanman did not make me explore. Perhaps it is familiarity with the politics that infom this work, about which I have already drawn my own conclusions.

The exercise of writing about CI08 is definitely an unabashedly biased appraisal of what I experienced in this exhibit. And I am finding that I enjoy putting these thoughts down. It is helping me to catalog what and why I am reacting.