Illegal Art
Solo Exhibition
On View
Aug 11 - Oct 13, 2023
Exhibition Details
Cultivate is pleased to share a participatory art solo exhibition of the New York art collective Illegal Art.
Illegal Art is a collective of artists founded in the summer of 2001, that seeks to create participatory-based public art that inspires self-reflection, thought, and human connection. The group has gained worldwide recognition through their installations, projects, and exhibitions. Through their work, Illegal Art aims to challenge traditional notions of art as a commodity that exists solely within the confines of galleries and museums. Instead, they aim to create art that is accessible to all, inviting viewers to engage with their work and participate in the creation of new meaning.
Illegal Art will share the works TO DO, Wash Away Your Fear, and What Color Are You?
Press
Exhibition Statement
Illegal Art, a collective of artists founded in the summer of 2001, seeks to create participatory-based public art that inspires self-reflection, thought, and human connection. The group has gained worldwide recognition through their installations, projects, and exhibitions. Through their work, Illegal Art aims to challenge traditional notions of art as a commodity that exists solely within the confines of galleries and museums. Instead, they aim to create art that is accessible to all, inviting viewers to engage with their work and participate in the creation of new meaning.
Illegal Art's approach to public art is characterized by its simplicity and encouragement of participation. Each piece is presented or distributed in a way that is easily accessible to viewers, who are invited to actively engage with the artwork. By utilizing simple and familiar objects or actions, the group aims to create works that are relatable and approachable, encouraging viewers to reflect on their own experiences and connect with others.
The collective's projects have been installed throughout the United States, South America, Europe, and the Middle East. One of their most notable projects, Suggestion Box, was published by Chronicle Books in August 2005 and has traveled to three continents, activated by individuals and groups in their local communities, collecting suggestions from tens of thousands of people in numerous languages. The group's work has also been featured in various media outlets, including National Public Radio, The New York Times, and The Guardian, among others.
Illegal Art has also presented and installed their work at various institutions, including the University of New Hampshire at Durham, The New School University in New York City, and the Minerva School in Berlin, Germany, to name a few. They have been awarded residences at Vermont Studio Center, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Webb School of Knoxville, and others.
In 2014, their project, What Color Are You?, was part of the Passport, a New Yorker Promotions event sponsored by Delta Airlines in the Lower East Side of Manhattan at the Manny Cantor Center. They were the first artist-in-residence at the 2013 SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas, and their work was featured at the South by South Lawn (SXSL) Festival of ideas, Art, and Action at The White House in October 2016 (Obama Administration).
Illegal Art's success can be attributed to their unique approach to creating public art that challenges the traditional view of art as a commodity. The group's participatory-based approach to art encourages viewers to engage with their work, fostering self-reflection, thought, and human connection. Their work represents a growing trend in contemporary art, which seeks to create art that is accessible to all and invites viewers to participate in the creation of new meaning.
Illegal Art's work represents a significant contribution to the field of contemporary art, as it challenges traditional notions of art as a commodity and creates works that are accessible and relatable to all. Through their participatory-based approach, the group fosters self-reflection, thought, and human connection, inspiring viewers to engage with their work and participate in the creation of new meaning. The success of their work can be attributed to their ability to connect with audiences on a personal level and create works that are both approachable and thought-provoking.
On view from Aug 11 - Oct 13, 2023
Opening Reception Photos
About Illegal Art
Image is Illegal Art 'Wash Away Your Fears'
Illegal Art, founded in the summer of 2001, is a collective of artists whose goal is to create participatory-based public art to inspire self-reflection, thought and human connection. Each piece is presented or distributed in a method in which participation is simple and encouraged. Their projects have been installed throughout the United States and South America, Europe and The Middle East. The results of their project, Suggestion Box, were published by Chronicle Books (Suggestion, August 2005). Suggestion Box has also traveled to three continents, activated by individuals and groups in their local communities, collecting suggestions from tens of thousands of people, in numerous languages.
Illegal Art’s work has been featured by such media outlets as National Public Radio, WNYC Radio, American Public Radio, The New York Times, New York Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, Entertainment Weekly, Flavorpill, The Public Art Review, Dwell Magazine, International Herald Tribune, Ad Age, The Guardian, including three times being featured on the New York Times Op-Ed page (01.01.06; 09.03.07; 12.31.09).
They were a featured presenter at 2008 College Art Association Conference in Dallas, Texas as a part of the session, “The Contemporary Collaborator in an Interdisciplinary World”. They have also spoken, presented and installed their work at numerous institutions such as University of New Hampshire at Durham, The New School University in New York City, Minerva School in Berlin, Germany, Jersey City Art Museum, and were part of a visual arts exhibition sponsored by the Ford Foundation called, “Difficult Dialogues” at Clark University in Worchester, Massachusetts, to name a few.
In 2014, their project, What Color Are You?, was part of the Passport, a New Yorker Promotions event sponsored by Delta Airlines in the Lower East Side of Manhattan at the Manny Cantor Center. They were first artist-in-residence at the 2013 SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas and have been awarded residences at Vermont Studio Center, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Webb School of Knoxville and others. Their work was featured at the South by South Lawn (SXSL) festival of ideas, art, and action at The White House in October 2016 (Obama Administration) and at the pop-up museum, Wonderspaces in San Diego, California, in both 2017 and 2018, and in 2019 will be featured at their exhibitions in Phoenix, Arizona and Miami, Florida.
Cofounder Otis Kriegel recently spoke about Illegal Art’s work at the TEDx Manhattan Beach in October 2018. Illegal Art also collaborates with other groups and institutions such as the architectural collective, 1319, based in Buenos Aires, Argentina and The Museum of Urban Art of Rome. Their work has been published in numerous catalogs throughout the United States and Europe.
Illegal Art is Otis Kriegel and Michael McDevitt.
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