The Moore Space

Jeppe Hein

01 Dec 2005 - 10 Mar 2006

MIAMI – Distance, an installation by artist Jeppe Hein, will be on view at The Moore Space in Miami from December 1, 2005-March 10, 2006. Created in 2004, the installation has been shown at Ludwig Forum, Aachen, Germany, and most recently, at Dunkers Kulturhus in Helsingborg, Sweden. The guest curator of this exhibition is Christine Macel, Curator of Contemporary art in charge of the Department of Prospective and Contemporary Creation, Musee nationale d’art moderne, Centre Pompidou, Paris.

Configured as a rollercoaster, Distance explores Hein’s interest in art as a game. Consisting of a set of rails roughly 330 feet in length, Distance dips and rolls, continually switching back on itself in loops. The installation adapts in size and shape for different exhibition venues. As the viewer enters the exhibition space, he/she activates a sensor that shoots a large white ball along the rails along which it will roll through twists and turns in the gallery space. The viewer is able to follow the ball’s course by foot, tracing its movement across the gallery and at the same time, becoming an active participant in the installation.

Hein revels in exploiting the deceptive potential of his work. His installations can best be described as interventions since they introduce disturbing elements into neutral art venues or public spaces that destabilize the art viewing habits of the gallery visitor. The pared-down geometrical objects in these installations obey the formal principles of minimal or conceptual art, but in keeping with Duchampian tradition, they become real works of art when the viewer innocently activates them. Hein’s objective is to establish an incongruous dialogue between the art and the viewer and to use humor to broaden the limits of conceptual art.

Born in 1974 in Copenhagen, Jeppe Hein studied at the Royal Academy of Arts of Copenhagen and in the Hochschule für Bildende Künste of Frankfurt. He lives and works in Berlin. He will have a solo exhibition at the Centre Pompidou, Paris in the Fall of 2005. In addition, Hein has shown at the Venice Biennial in 2003 and at PS1 in New York.

The Moore Space is a non-profit arts organization dedicated to multi-disciplinary contemporary art practices. It offers a year-round program including exhibitions, educational programs, internships, artist residencies, lectures, and performances. Since its founding in 2001 by collector Rosa de la Cruz together with Craig Robins, an integral part of its exhibition program has been to invite guest curators to contribute new ideas and new thought to the organization and the Miami arts community at large. The sponsors include: Rosa de la Cruz, Craig Robins and Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, Cultural Affairs Council and The Mayor and the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners.

The Moore Space is located in Miami’s Design District, at 4040 NE 2nd Avenue, 2nd Floor. Exhibition hours are Wednesday-Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm, and by appointment. For more information, please call 305.438.1163, or visit our website at
www.themoorespace.org

© Jeppe Hein
"Distance", 2004
Installation Shot at Ludwig Forum für Internationale Kunst, Aachen
Photo credit: Holger Hübsch
Courtesy of Johann König Gallery, Berlin
www.johannkoenig.de
 

Tags: Jeppe Hein