Fringe Projects is pleased to present Reversal of Fortune by London-based and internationally celebrated artist Hew Locke, a site-specific installation embodying the history and global movement of money, power and ownership. In his work, Locke often addresses historical and economic cycles. Since the financial crash of 2008, Locke has been acquiring original antique share certificates and applying paint to their surfaces. Share certificates are written documents signed on behalf of a corporation, which serve as legal proof of ownership of the number of shares indicated. Companies often adorn their shares with bold typography and classical motifs implying stability and worth. Locke chooses to work with specific shares for their aesthetics and for their historical content – at times featuring depictions of the local population in which the companies operated. For Locke, these are silent witnesses who contributed to the creation of wealth without receiving the benefit.
For this site-specific installation, Fringe Projects presents a selection of modified certificates that were scanned and printed in a similar method to advertising billboards, which will be visible from storefront windows. The work will also transform the historic vault and interior of the erstwhile premises of the Moray Jewelry store within the Alfred I. duPont Building. This work, which furthers Locke’s Gold Standard series, is also a wry acknowledgement of the commodity value of contemporary art. Replicas of the shares are available to be taken by visitors from the vault as a means to further global currency circulation.
ABOUT HEW LOCKE:
Hew Locke was born in Edinburgh, UK, in 1959; lived from 1966 to 1980 in Georgetown, Guyana; and is currently based in London. He obtained a B.A. Fine Art in Falmouth (1988) and an M.A. Sculpture at the Royal College of Art, London (1994). In 2000 he won both a Paul Hamlyn Award and an East International Award. His work is represented in many collections including those of the The Government Art Collection, The Pérez Art Museum Miami; The Tate Gallery; The Arts Council of England; The National Trust; The Brooklyn Museum, New York; The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City; The RISD Museum, Rhode Island; The Victoria & Albert Museum; and The British Museum.
September 8, 2017 – January 31, 2018
The Alfred I. duPont Building
169 E Flagler Street, Miami, FL 33133
(Please inquire at the reception desk during business hours of The Alfred I. duPont Building to access the exhibition)
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