Photo reportage from ‘V Formation’ by Žilvinas Kempinas in the Galleries at Herron School of Art and Design, Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS – The spring exhibitions in the Galleries at Herron School of Art and Design open March 7, 2018, headlined by a survey of works by kinetic artist Žilvinas Kempinas, including the international debut of a new, 112-foot-long site-responsive work. Using VHS magnetic tape and other unconventional materials, Kempinas crafts dynamic sculptures and installations that are activated by natural phenomena such as light and the circulation of air.

Among eleven works in the exhibition are eight new sculptures on view for the first time, including “V Formation,” a large-scale installation conceived for Herron’s main gallery space. “V Formation” (2018) incorporates lines of unspooled VHS tape stretched across the length of the gallery. The installation creates a low ‘ceiling’ of shimmering reflective tape just above visitors’ heads. As the bands traverse the 112-foot-long gallery, the tape torques from a horizontal plane to a vertical one. The result is a monumental yet ethereal installation that transforms the experience of Herron’s space in unexpected ways.

“Žilvinas Kempinas” runs through April 21, 2018, in the Berkshire, Reese, and Paul Galleries.

The exhibition opens with a public reception on Wednesday, March 7 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Eskenazi Hall, 735 W. New York St. The Galleries at Herron are free and open to the public Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Wednesdays until 8 p.m. For more information, visit HerronGalleries.org.

Parking is available courtesy of The Great Frame Up Indianapolis in the visitor section of the Sports Complex Garage (west of Herron’s Eskenazi Hall), or on the upper floors of the Riverwalk Garage (south of the Sports Complex Garage) until 6 p.m. Park on any floor after 6 p.m. Bring your parking ticket to the Herron galleries for validation.

About Žilvinas Kempinas

Kempinas was born in Plungė, Lithuania in 1969. In 2009, Kempinas represented Lithuania at the 53rd International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale in Italy. He has had solo exhibitions at Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, U.K.; Reykjavik Art Museum, Iceland; Museum Tinguely, Basel, Switzerland; Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, Moscow; Kuntshalle Wien, Vienna, Austria; and the Palais de Tokyo, Paris, among others. Group exhibitions include the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco. Kempinas lives and works in New York City.

About Herron School of Art and Design

Founded in 1902, Herron School of Art and Design is the premier accredited, professional school of art and design in the state of Indiana and is part of the thriving urban campus of IUPUI. With more than 50 full-time faculty serving 11 undergraduate and three graduate programs, Herron’s curriculum prepares graduates to be leaders in a world that requires a unique combination of creativity, conceptual skills, and technical abilities. Herron is an engaged community and regional partner including five public galleries; community learning programs; and the Basile Center for Art, Design and Public Life.

Žilvinas Kempinas
V Formation
March 7 – April 21, 2018
Berkshire, Reese, and Paul Galleries
Eskenazi Hall

Photography:  Žilvinas Kempinas