Rafaël Rozendaal Selected as First Artist for 2013 Times Square Art Square Exhibition
24 OCTOBER 2012, NEW YORK, NY
Summary
Times Square Art Square (TSAS) today announced Rafaël Rozendaal as the first artist commissioned for the organization’s debut event in 2013. Rozendaal will create original pieces of art to be shown on some of Times Square’s most iconic digital billboards as part of “Art Square,” a landmark public art exhibition in which advertising in Times Square is replaced with dedicated art installations.Times Square Art Square (TSAS) today announced Rafaël Rozendaal as the first artist commissioned for the organization’s debut event in 2013. Rozendaal will create original pieces of art to be shown on some of Times Square’s most iconic digital billboards as part of “Art Square,” a landmark public art exhibition in which advertising in Times Square is replaced with dedicated art installations.
“Rafaël's appeal is broad, and he has the ability to engage art lovers young and old to look again and again at something that is technologically engaged, emotionally aware and aesthetically beautiful,” says Chief Curator Hrag Vartanian. “The power of Rafaël's work comes from his ability to distill his idea into simple and memorable moments. The idea of seeing his art in an oversaturated media space like Times Square is utterly and totally exciting.”
Rozendaal is a Dutch-Brazilian artist currently living and working in New York City. His artistic practice relies heavily on the Internet as canvas with installations involving websites, projections, video, moving light, reflections and sound. Spread out over a vast network of domain names, his work resides somewhere between painting and animation and draws more than 25 million visits per year. Though collectors may buy his websites, Rozendaal stipulates in his “Art Website Sales Contract” that the sites must remain on view to the public.
Born in Amsterdam in 1980, Rozendaal has held solo exhibitions at Steve Turner Contemporary, Los Angeles (2012), Spencer Brownstone, New York (2010), TSCA Gallery, Tokyo (2010), Netherlands Media Art Institute, Amsterdam (2010) and Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam (2006). His works were presented on the world's largest LED screen in Seoul Square (2012, curated by Lauren Cornell and the New Museum) and have been included in the Internet Pavilion at the Venice Biennial (2009) and the Valencia Biennial (2005). He also participated in Maps for the 21st Century at the DLD Conference in Munich (2012, curated by Johannes Fricke & Hans Ulrich Obrist) and created BYOB (Bring Your Own Beamer), and open source DIY curatorial format that is spreading across the world rapidly.
Art Square is slated to debut to the public as a multi-day event in Spring 2013, with plans to expand to a month-long format in subsequent years. TSAS is currently raising funds via a $100,000 Kickstarter campaign to cover permits, infrastructure, installation, insurance and other logistical costs for the 2013 exhibition. The billboards on which artwork will be shown during Art Square are donated and/or underwritten via a corporate sponsorship model. For more information on Times Square Art Square, visit http://www.artsquare.co.
Rafaël Rozendaal is represented by Steve Turner Contemporary, Los Angeles. Steve Turner Contemporary was established in 2007 to showcase emerging American and international artists with some focus on artists whose work is concerned with new technology. For more information, visit http://www.steveturnercontemporary.com.
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Quotes
"Rafaël's appeal is broad, and he has the ability to engage art lovers young and old to look again and again at something that is technologically engaged, emotionally aware and aesthetically beautiful. The power of Rafaël's work comes from his ability to distill his idea into simple and memorable moments. The idea of seeing his art in an oversaturated media space like Times Square is utterly and totally exciting." Hrag Vartanian
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About Times Square Art Square
About Times Square Art Square Foundation (TSAS): TSAS is working to transform the world’s largest advertising space into the world’s largest exhibition space for one whole month each year. In addition to placing dedicated art installations on Times Square’s iconic billboards, the organization's "Art Square" exhibition will involve ground level installations, performance art, pop-up galleries, music, film and more. TSAS is committed to making art more accessible, creating opportunities for appreciation and education, and fostering a more meaningful cultural experience within the world’s most popular tourist destination.