Directions: Dan Steinhilber

Dan Steinhilber, Untitled, 2002. Courtesy of Signal 66, Washington, D.C. Photo by Mark Gulezian / Quicksilver

September 25, 2003, to January 4, 2004
Dan Steinhilber (b. 1972) uses everyday materials – such as soda bottles, garbage bags, and clothes hangers – in three works that responded directly to the architecture of the glass-enclosed lobby of the Hirshhorn. A fourth work by this Washington-based sculptor was sited outdoors on the Museum’s Plaza.

This was the first solo museum exhibition for Steinhilber, who explores light and shape by filling plastic tubing, bottles, bubble wrap, and other receptacles with translucent and colorful liquids such as duck sauce, dish soap, and soda and by stacking objects, including paint rollers, plastic cups, and Styrofoam food containers. This was also the first time since the Hirshhorn initiated its one-person Directions shows in 1987 that the series brought an installation to the Museum lobby.

About the Directions Series
Since its opening in 1974, the Hirshhorn has been committed to providing a platform for the artists of today. Directions, established in 1979 as a group installation and transformed in 1987 to highlight the work of a single artist or paired artists, has been a longstanding hallmark of the Museum’s exhibition program and partnership with living artists. Bringing a diverse range of emerging and established artists from around the world to Washington, the series provides a prominent space on the National Mall for new work and new ideas.