Artpace Announces First-Ever Comprehensive Survey of Felix Gonzalez-Torres Billboards in United States

SAN ANTONIO, January 26 - In celebration of its 15th anniversary in 2010, Artpace will mount an
ambitious state-wide exhibition of 13 seminal billboards created by
Cuban-born American artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres between 1989 and 1995.
Developed with special permission from the Felix Gonzalez-Torres Foundation,
this presentation will be the first-ever comprehensive survey of
Gonzalez-Torres' billboard works in the United States — honoring his
participation as a fellow in Artpace's inaugural International
Artist-in-Residence Program, while commemorating Linda Pace's extraordinary
gesture in founding Artpace to encourage public access to contemporary art in
Texas.

(Photo: www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100126/DC44078)

Moving beyond the walls of the institution with this publicly-sited
exhibition, Artpace aims to both capture the attention of cultural travelers
and provide an enriching source of inspiration for the communities where the
billboards will be installed. Artpace has secured more than 20 locations
throughout Texas where the images — including a hand extended, a bird in
flight — will, as curator Robert Storr wrote in Artpace's initial catalogue
New Works for a New Space (1995), "quietly make one wonder at the nuanced
flux of time, contingent freedom, intimacy, and loss…" Situated
deliberately in the public's path, these artworks gracefully interrupt our
daily routines with poignant reflections on life, love, and humanity.

The transcendent quality of Gonzalez-Torres' work will be magnified in
the Texas landscape — exporting Artpace's mission into the community and
bringing art to areas without access to contemporary exhibitions. The
billboards can be seen throughout the greater Dallas, El Paso, Houston, and
San Antonio areas. Major underwriting for this anniversary-year Felix
Gonzalez-Torres Billboard Exhibition is provided by the Linda Pace
Foundation, with generous in-kind support from Clear Channel Outdoor.

EXHIBITION DETAILS AND RELATED EVENTS

Exhibition Dates

Jan. 11-Dec. 31, 2010

About Artpace

Artpace San Antonio serves as a laboratory for the creation and
advancement of international contemporary art. Artpace believes that art is a
dynamic social force that inspires individuals and defines cultures. Our
residencies, exhibitions, and education programs nurture the creative
expression of emerging and established artists, while actively engaging youth
and adult audiences.

Artpace is located downtown at 445 North Main Avenue, between Savings and
Martin streets, San Antonio, Texas. Free parking is available at 513 North
Flores Street. Artpace is open to the public Wednesday through Sunday, 12-5
PM, and by appointment. Admission is free.

Matt Johns, Manager of Public Affairs, Artpace San Antonio, +1-210-212-4900 x314, mjohns at artpace.org