Hirshhorn Presents Light Works by Dan Flavin

Photo caption: untitled (to Helga and Carlo, with respect and affection), 1974

March 11, 2015

Two Major Series Represented: “barriers” and “monuments”

Two iconic works by Dan Flavin (American, b. New York, 1933–1996) from the
collection of the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden will be on
view through Nov. 15. “untitled (to Helga and Carlo, with respect and affection)”
(1974) and “‘monument’ for V. Tatlin” (1967) are examples of two of the artist’s most
renowned series, the “barriers” and the “monuments,” respectively.

A leading figure of Minimal art, Flavin used mass-produced fluorescent light fixtures
to make sculptural installations in which light is the primary medium. By blurring the
boundary between artwork and environment, he challenged the definition of sculpture
as a discrete object. While each of the “monuments” has a fixed form, the “barrier”
works are what the artist called “situational,” not site-specific but responsive to the
proportions of the spaces in which they are displayed. “untitled” is a freestanding
work that extends diagonally for 92 feet across the gallery, prohibiting access to part
of the space and filling the room with blue light.

“This installation of ‘untitled’ is the largest configuration of this barrier that has ever
been shown,” said Evelyn Hankins, Hirshhorn curator. “This is also the first time the
work has been exhibited in the Lower Level galleries, which are rectangular instead
of curved, creating a different relationship between the artwork and the space.”

“untitled” is paired with the wall-mounted “monument,” which consists of white
bulbs. “monument” is named for Russian modernist Vladimir Tatlin, whose unbuilt
“Monument to the Third International” spurred the experiments of the Constructivists.
First installed in 1975 at the Kunsthalle Basel, “untitled” is dedicated to Carlo Huber,
who was director there, and his wife, Helga.

For more information about Flavin, visit hirshhorn.si.edu/collection/dan-flavin/.

About the Hirshhorn
Now celebrating its 40th anniversary, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is the Smithsonian Institution’s museum of international modern and contemporary art. With nearly 12,000 paintings, sculptures, photographs, mixed-media installations, works on paper and new media works, its holdings encompass one of the leading collections of postwar American and European art. The Hirshhorn presents diverse exhibitions and offers an array of public programs that explore modern and contemporary art. Located at Independence Avenue and Seventh Street S.W., the museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). Admission to the galleries and special programs is free. For more information about exhibitions and events, visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Follow the Hirshhorn on Facebook at facebook.com/hirshhorn, on Twitter at twitter.com/hirshhorn, on Tumblr at hirshhorn.tumblr.com and on Instagram at instagram.com/hirshhorn. Or sign up for the museum’s eBlasts at hirshhorn.si.edu/collection/social-media. To request accessibility services, contact Kristy Maruca at marucak@si.edu or (202) 633-2796, preferably two weeks in advance.

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