FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
NEW YORK, April 14, 2023 - A new art installation created by Renée Green is now available for public viewing on the second and third floors of the Milstein Center for Teaching and Learning within Barnard’s library. Green — a renowned artist, writer, and filmmaker — joined the College in January as the Lida A. Orzeck ’68 Distinguished Artist-in-Residence for the 2023 calendar year. She is recognized for her densely layered, multifaceted artworks in a wide variety of formats, such as multimedia installations, films, sound-based works, and photography.
Green’s latest installation, which went up recently and will be on display until the end of 2023, includes four recent works from a series called Space Poems that she has been producing for nearly two decades: Space Poem #8.1 (Vide ma tête), What Time Is It? (GLB), Every Single Person (LW), and Vide ma tête. Those who do not hold a Barnard or Columbia University ID and wish to visit Green’s installation in the Milstein Library should email campusaccess@barnard.com in advance.
Renée Green is Barnard’s fifth Orzeck Artist-in-Residence, following dance, choreography, and film legend Yvonne Rainer.
Green is known globally for her art, which spans films, essays and writings, installations, digital media, architecture, sound-related works, and film series. Her work examines how relationships and exchanges — both over time and in present moments — are inscribed into public or private memories. It also explores what has been invented, imagined, or altered from an earlier account of events.
Working as an educator has been an important part of Green’s trajectory, showcased through her many teaching positions in European and American independent studies programs and academic institutions, such as her current position as a professor at the Art, Culture, and Technology (ACT) program, School of Architecture and Planning, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
“We are honored to have Renée Green join our community,” said Linda A. Bell, Provost and Dean of the Faculty. “We are excited that through this installation, Green will give students the unique opportunity to learn from and engage with art that seeks to reflect and inspire.”
The installation features a series of visually animated suspended banners, allowing the perceiver to read and extract meaning from combined sign and symbol systems while moving through the space.
As a self-reflective artwork, Green’s Space Poem #8.1 (Vide ma tête) (2022-2023) considers the life and trajectory of an artist. Her piece consists of 33 double-sided banners hanging from the library’s atrium. In her banners, Green intertwines statements and phrases from her own life engaged with art to create a complex tapestry of ideas about how art interacts with the world. They reference the radical aspirations of an earlier generation while reflecting on how they persist and are transformed in the present. A single-banner work, Vide ma tête (2022), offers a diagrammatic drawing tracing several pedagogical processes and tropes often found in forming an artist. A prolific publisher herself, Green condenses and complements these with a concise statement: “All books can open.”
“I am thrilled to have been chosen for this residency and grateful to share my work through Ms. Orzeck’s support of arts and arts education,” said Renée Green. “I’ve very much enjoyed sharing my interests with the students so far, and I look forward to allowing them to ponder with me the questions I continue to probe in my work.”
Students and family members will be able to see the installation in the library during Barnard’s graduation on May 17. In the fall, Green will offer a special seminar for students, make visits to existing classes, and schedule a series of public events, including film screenings.
In March 2015, Lida Orzeck, Ph.D., endowed the Lida A. Orzeck ’68 Distinguished Artist-in-Residence Fund with a substantial gift. Orzeck is co-founder of Hanky Panky, the lingerie company that has emphasized sustainable operations, from office practices through fabric development, packaging, and production, since its inception in 1977. Orzeck serves on the Barnard Board of Trustees and has given generously to the College over the years, including a scholarship fund in her name, support to the annual Athena Film Festival, and many other initiatives.
“Green’s work constantly inspires me, and I am so
pleased and honored to have my name connected with hers,” said Orzeck. “As a multimedia artist and prolific writer, Green will bring an entirely different perspective to campus. I’m excited to continue providing ways for Barnard students to gain exposure to some of the world’s most talented voices.”
About Barnard
Barnard provides a singular educational experience, as a world-renowned college focused on excellence across the arts and sciences, with all the academic resources of Columbia University and the City of New York as an extended classroom. Founded in 1889, Barnard was one of the few colleges in the nation where women could receive the same rigorous and challenging education available to men. Today, Barnard is one of the most selective academic institutions in the country and remains devoted to empowering extraordinary women to become even more exceptional. For more information on Barnard College, contact Barnard Media Relations at 212-854-2037 or mediarelations@barnard.edu. To learn more, follow Barnard on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Media Contact
Kathryn Gerlach
mediarelations@barnard.edu
212.854.8037