Pacita Abad
Apr 4 – Sep 2
- Past
- Exhibition
Photo: Marissa Alper; Video: Elle Rinaldi
This spring, MoMA PS1 presents the first retrospective of artist Pacita Abad (Filipina-American, 1946–2004). Spanning the artist’s 32-year career, the exhibition includes more than 50 works—most of which have never been on public view in the United States prior to this exhibition. Largely self-taught, Abad is best known for her trapuntos, quilted paintings made by stitching and stuffing her canvases as opposed to stretching them over a wood frame. After moving to the United States in 1970 to escape political persecution from the authoritarian Marcos regime, Abad sought to give visibility to political refugees and oppressed peoples through her work. “I have always believed that an artist has a special obligation to remind society of its social responsibility,” she said. Organized by the Walker Art Center in collaboration with Abad’s estate, the presentation celebrates the multifaceted work of an artist whose vibrant visual, material, and conceptual concerns push forward salient conversations around globalization, power, and resilience.
The exhibition is accompanied by the first major publication on Abad’s work, produced by the Walker. The volume is edited with text by Victoria Sung and includes contributions from Julia Bryan-Wilson, Nancy Lim, Ruba Katrib, Xiaoyu Weng, and Matthew Villar Miranda, as well as a comprehensive oral history by Pio Abad and Sung.
Sponsors
Major support for Pacita Abad is provided by John L. Thomson.
Additional support is provided by Lonti Ebers.
The Walker Art Center organized the exhibition with major support provided by Martha and Bruce Atwater; the Ford Foundation; the Henry Luce Foundation; the Martin and Brown Foundation; Rosemary and Kevin McNeely, Manitou Fund; and the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.
Selected Artworks
Installation Views
