Goldsmiths - University of London

Contemporary Art Center, Cincinnati, press release
2015 will mark the 25th anniversary of the CAC’s landmark presentation of Robert Mapplethorpe’s survey exhibition The Perfect Moment in Cincinnati. And while 25 years have passed, this event continues to reverberate as much for the artwork on display as for the reactions it inspired, and the historic controversy that ensued. Amidst the ripples, then CAC Director Dennis Barrie was acquitted on charges of obscenity, first amendment laws were shaken and galvanized, the HIV crisis and gay rights movement took on added visibility and revealing light was cast upon the polarizing politics of what is seen and by whom. In an aftermath that has yet to fully settle or cease, the CAC will consider the legacy of this artist (and the events surrounding The Perfect Moment) through the lens of artists working today. Seven curators from across the tri-state region (Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana) will each select 5 artists who will present new work that measures how Mapplethorpe’s photos, exhibition and censorship shaped the artistic landscape they navigate today.