Week 2@ 5280: In Conversation with Teresa Hubbard | Alexander Birchler
They discovered an unknown American artist and made her a star. Featured in the Swiss Pavilion at the 2017 Venice Biennale and now at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, Teresa Hubbard / Alexander Birchler’s Flora, is based on the artists’ journey of discovery. Finding an unknown American artist, Flora Mayo, with whom the famous Swiss sculptor, Alberto Giacometti, had a love affair in Paris in the 1920s, Teresa and Alexander brought her story to life through film, artifacts and a reproduction of the lost bronze bust of Giacometti she sculpted while the two attended art school in Paris.
Nora Burnett Abrams, MCA Denver’s Director, recently interviewed Teresa and Alexander in front of a sold-out audience at the museum. One of MCA’s greatest gifts to our city (and there are many) is their commitment to introducing artists to us through these intimate experiences. Nora is a relaxed, inquisitive and thoughtful interviewer, so the artists open up and share their vision, processes and challenges. It’s an amazing opportunity to peek into the hearts and minds of artists.
Early in the interview, Teresa commented “Artists are fundamentally hopeful people.” What a beautiful way to welcome the audience to share their personal journey of discovery — finding Flora, her 80 year old son, David, in LA and then crafting her story for a world stage. The exhibit has travelled from Venice, Italy, to Germany, France, Japan, Denver and will move to Fort Worth in the spring.
Teresa and Alexander return to MCA Denver on March 26th at 7 pm to dive deeper into their exhibition, Flora, with Shamim Momin, Senior Curator of the Henry Art Gallery at the University of Washington. Learn more about the event and purchase tickets: http://bit.ly/2tU5kOA
