Thursday 06.10.2016

Being the measure: David Zink Yi with Angie Keefer at WCMA

David Zink Yi's first museum exhibition in the United States brings together his work in sculpture, photography, music, and video and marks his foray into collaborative live performance. Developed with writer and artist Angie Keefer, and performed with musicians Marvin Diz, Eliel Lazo, Regis Molina, and Onel Matos Somoza, Zink Yi's original work at the Williams College Museum of Art (WCMA) fuses Minimalist sculptural and musical traditions, Afro-Cuban spiritual music, and spoken word structures. Being the measure will be on view from October 7, 2016 through February 12, 2017 with the opening performance on Thursday, October 6, 2016 at 5:00 pm.

Interested in the ways identity finds expression through the body, Zink Yi is known for video installations that dwell upon physiological aspects of musical perception, and for large-scale sculptures of squids and octopuses, animals whose apparent physical identity may change dramatically as a form of communication or defense. Born in Peru, Zink Yi trained as a sculptor in Germany and developed a passion for Cuba's music, history, and culture when he traveled there in 2001 and began studying Afro-Cuban percussion. He draws an analogy between a cephalopod's limbs, which operate relatively independently from the animal's central brain, and the 'independence' achieved by some advanced musicians, particularly percussionists, whose limbs take on seeming autonomy when they play.

The exhibition combines the varied aspects of Zink Yi's practice with an experimental performance commissioned by WCMA. A spoken word text developed by Angie Keefer and a constellation of brightly painted wooden sculptures specially designed for their acoustic qualities will be activated by Zink Yi and four Cuban musicians, including three percussionists and a saxophonist, during the October 6 performance. Bodies, sounds, and words in turn become sculptural elements in a projected video work created from footage captured during performance rehearsals, while four bronze sculptures of anatomically precise octopus segments contrast with the minimal geometry of the wooden forms.

'Our invitation to David was intentionally open, an opportunity for him to do something he'd never done before. With Being the measure's collaborative performance and multi-media installation, he took full advantage of the intimate, interdisciplinary environment of Williams and pushed his practice in an exciting new direction.' Lisa Dorin, deputy director for curatorial affairs and curator of contemporary art.

The exhibition is co-organized with the Mistake Room in Los Angeles where it will be reprised in early 2018. A publication will be produced by the Serving Library, the non-profit artists' organization 'dedicated to publishing and archiving in a continuous loop,' co-founded by Keefer.

Rehearsal space generously provided by Johann Koenig.

About the Artist
Born in Peru in 1973 David Zink Yi studied sculpture at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts and the University of the Arts in Berlin. He currently lives and works in Berlin. Zink Yi's work is represented in public and private collections throughout the world including Museum Ludwig in Cologne, Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, and Museo de Arte in Lima. He has had numerous solo and group exhibitions, including the 8th Berlin Biennial and Prospect.3 New Orleans. Zink Yi is represented by Hauser & Wirth, Zurich, London, New York, Somerset, Los Angeles; Johann Koenig Galerie, Berlin; and Livia Benavides in Lima, Peru.

Related Programs
Rehearsal in Progress
Tuesday, Oct 4, 1:10-1:40 pm
Wednesday, Oct 5, 11:00-11:30 am
We'll open up the gallery for a half hour and invite you behind the scenes to see David Zink Yi and his collaborators prepare for the opening performance.

Performance and Opening Celebration
Oct 6, 5 pm
The exhibition launches with the performance by Zink Yi based on a text developed with Angie Keefer. Along with musicians Marvin Diz, Eliel Lazo, Regis Molina, and Onel Matos Somoza, Zink Yi activates wooden sound objects in the installation.

Close Look
Thursday, Oct 13, 4 pm
Curator Lisa Dorin and Angie Keefer discuss the collaborative process and the development of the textual component of Zink Yi's work.

Williams College Museum of Art
The Williams College Museum of Art makes dynamic art experiences to incite new thinking about art, museums, and the world. At the heart of the Williams College campus the museum draws on the collaborative and multidisciplinary ethos of the surrounding college to enliven the more than 14,000 works in its growing collection. The museum and its collection are a catalyst for student learning and community engagement. WCMA is located on Main Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The museum is open 10 am to 5 pm, Thursdays 10 am to 8 pm, and closed Wednesdays September through May. In June, July, and August WCMA is open every day 10 am – 5 pm and 10 am – 8 pm on Thursdays. WCMA is free and open to all. For more information, contact the museum at 413-597-2429 or visit wcma.williams.edu.