In collaboration, Josh Baer, Demisch Danant and Friedman Benda Gallery present In Their Own Words, an exhibition of photography, sculpture, furniture and architecture created within, and often in reaction to, various socio-political moments of the 20th century. Captioned by the artists’ own words, the creator’s original impetus and intent is highlighted.
By pairing commentary alongside art and design objects, In Their Own Words elicits recognition of the artist’s initial concept and examines the current understanding of those same ideas. Furthermore, by exhibiting artworks and design objects together in confluence, In Their Own Words dissolves the long held division between the fields and provokes a debate on the cultural significance and authority currently assigned to each.
In Their Own Words will include quotations and works from some of the most influential creative voices of the past century. Each art and design object has been selected because of its socio-political character. Some works were created as part of a greater objective to improve societal conditions while others are more documentative of the social circumstances surrounding their creation. Works will be included by Studio Alchimia, Atelier A, Ron Arad, Hans Bellmer, Jurgen Bey, Alighiero Boetti, Lee Bontecou, Marcel Breuer, Charles Eames, Pentagon Group, Jeff Koons, Jackson Pollock, Jean Prouvé, Gerrit Rietveld, Richard Serra, Ettore Sottsass, Tato, Rosemarie -Trockel, Lawrence Weiner, Kehinde Wiley, and Frank Lloyd Wright.