The Location of Lines
Key Images of Artworks in the Exhibition
About the Exhibition
Lines are the first gesture in writing, drawing, and sculpture making them central to representation. While we often describe lines as definitive—“a line in the sand,” or “crossing the line”—artists in this exhibition play with these limits, revealing how they can change and move.
Taking the title from a Sol LeWitt artist's book, The Location of Lines further examines the form of a line in the context of space and politics. Through a variety of representations in the prints, drawings, photographs, and videos that make up the exhibition, viewers are invited to reconsider the line and its meaning, both in imagination and in reality. These uses span from the abstract to the concrete: the line as a form, as a symbol, as a concept, and ultimately as a geographic border. Each artwork reveals how lines, limits, and borders are constructed and how they can change. After all, for those in power, lines can be erased just as easily as they are drawn.
The exhibition is organized by Line Ajan, Barjeel Global Fellow. It is presented in the Cohen Gallery and Stone Family Gallery on the fourth floor.
Artists in This Exhibition
ARTISTS IN THIS EXHIBITION INCLUDE:
- Francis Alÿs (Belgian, b. 1959)
- Latifa Echakhch (Moroccan, b. 1974)
- Mona Hatoum (British-Palestinian, b. Lebanon, 1952)
- Alfredo Jaar (Chilean, b. 1956)
- Emily Jacir (American, b. 1973)
- Edward Krasiński (Polish, 1925–2004)
- Sol LeWitt (American, 1928–2007)
- Ana Mendieta (American, b. Cuba, 1948–1985)
- Annette Messager (French, b. 1943)
- Howardena Pindell (American, b. 1943)
Zarina (Indian, b. 1937)
Installation Images
Installation view, The Location of Lines, MCA Chicago Aug 29, 2020–Feb 21, 2021
Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA ChicagoInstallation view, The Location of Lines, MCA Chicago Aug 29, 2020–Feb 21, 2021
Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA ChicagoInstallation view, The Location of Lines, MCA Chicago Aug 29, 2020–Feb 21, 2021
Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA ChicagoInstallation view, The Location of Lines, MCA Chicago Aug 29, 2020–Feb 21, 2021
Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA ChicagoInstallation view, The Location of Lines, MCA Chicago Aug 29, 2020–Feb 21, 2021
Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA ChicagoInstallation view, The Location of Lines, MCA Chicago Aug 29, 2020–Feb 21, 2021
Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA ChicagoInstallation view, The Location of Lines, MCA Chicago Aug 29, 2020–Feb 21, 2021
Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA ChicagoInstallation view, The Location of Lines, MCA Chicago Aug 29, 2020–Feb 21, 2021
Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago