Group Exhibitions

The Times
Flag Art Foundation
New York, New York
June 1 – August 11, 2017

Curated by Stephanie Roach

Images Courtesy of the The Flag Art Foundation

Using The New York Times as a point of departure, The Times brought together more than 80 artists, artist duos, and collectives who used the "paper of record" to reframe and reflect on major issues impacting everyday life. The exhibition responded to the political and cultural climate in the wake of the 2016 election—an era when the press was increasingly under attack and public trust in journalism was being tested.

For us, it was powerful to be included in this timely and urgent show. The exhibition featured work that transformed the newspaper into a material for visual exploration—collage, drawing, photography, and sculpture—as well as sound, performance, and video. It traced how artists across generations have turned to The New York Times to document, critique, and question the world around them.

“If one way to measure the merit of a news publication is by the quality of the art that is made with, about and occasionally against it, then The New York Times is in pretty good shape. This is suggested by an outstanding show of 80 artists who use The Times as subject or material, or both, to make just about anything; commit various acts of dissection; or touch on specific events, social mores, the passage of time. The results are humorous, sobering or ingenious but rarely uninteresting.”

-Roberta Smith, The New York Times

Our piece appeared alongside a remarkable group of work by artists including Robert Gober, Lorraine O’Grady, Fred Tomaselli, Ellsworth Kelly, and Felix Gonzalez-Torres. As in our larger practice, we drew on personal history and cultural memory, channeling the energy of the everyday and embedding it within the material world. Just as we’ve done with fabric, beads, and thread, here we engaged with paper and printed media—turning something mass-produced into something intimate and hand-touched.

The curators issued an open call, receiving over 400 proposals from artists around the world. More than half of the final participants came from that open call—a testament to the exhibition’s commitment to community, diversity, and the importance of diverse voices.

The Times was a reminder that art can respond to the headlines, challenge dominant narratives, and ultimately help us see with greater clarity. It also reinforced a belief central to our work: that meaning is everywhere—in the materials we touch, the stories we inherit, and the times we live through.

Visit the project page at Flag Art Foundation