Media Advisory Press Preview for “Trevor Paglen: Sites Unseen”
WHAT:
Press preview for the exhibition “Trevor Paglen: Sites Unseen”
WHEN:
Wednesday, June 20
11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Sign-in: 11 a.m.
Remarks: 11:30 a.m.
WHERE:
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Enter at Eight and G Streets N.W.
WHO:
Stephanie Stebich, The Margaret and Terry Stent Director
John Jacob, McEvoy Family Curator for Photography
Trevor Paglen, artist
Trevor Paglen is an award-winning artist whose work blurs the lines between art, science and investigative journalism to construct unfamiliar and at times unsettling ways to see and interpret the world around us. “Trevor Paglen: Sites Unseen” is the first exhibition to present Paglen’s early photographic series alongside his recent sculptural objects and new work with artificial intelligence. Privacy and freedom in the 21st century are among his primary interests. With this presentation, the Smithsonian American Art Museum engages visitors in the important and ongoing conversation about privacy and surveillance in contemporary society.
The exhibition features more than 100 artworks, ranging from photographs and video to sculpture, and includes the multi-media installation “The Last Pictures,” prototypes of his non-functional satellites and the premiere presentation of his video work “Image Operations.” The exhibition will occupy the entire north wing of galleries at the museum, an unprecedented scale for an exhibition at this location.
“Trevor Paglen: Sites Unseen” is organized by John Jacob, McEvoy Family Curator for Photography at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. This mid-career survey is on view at the museum’s main building from June 21 through Jan. 6, 2019. Following its presentation in Washington, D.C., the exhibition will travel to San Diego, Calif. and Vienna, Austria.
Interested media should RSVP to americanartpressoffice@si.edu. One-on-one interviews with museum staff or with Paglen must be arranged in advance by contacting Angelica Aboulhosn. Photographers and film crews are welcome. Additional press materials are available online at americanart.si.edu/press.
About the Smithsonian American Art Museum and its Renwick Gallery
The Smithsonian American Art Museum is the flagship museum in the United States for American art and craft. It is home to one of the most significant and inclusive collections of American art in the world. The museum’s main building, located at Eighth and G streets N.W., is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. The museum’s Renwick Gallery, a branch museum dedicated to contemporary craft, is located on Pennsylvania Avenue at 17th Street N.W. and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Check online for current hours and admission information. Admission is free. Follow the museum on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. Smithsonian information: (202) 633-1000. Museum information (recorded): (202) 633-7970. Website: americanart.si.edu.
