This fall, prepare to be captivated by the Menil Collection's latest exhibition, "Fragments of Memory," on view at the Menil Drawing Institute from September 20, 2024, to January 26, 2025. The show delves into the profound ways in which 20th and 21st-century artists have woven personal experiences and historic events into the fabric of their work, creating a tapestry of emotion and remembrance.
R: Joe Goode, Studies on the Past 7, 2008. Acrylic on inkjet print, 16 × 12 in. (40.6 × 30.5 cm). The Menil Collection, Houston. © Joe Goode. Photo: Paul Hester
From Wardell Milan's vibrant celebration of resistance in "Pulse" to Gael Stack's chaotic yet contemplative swirl of consciousness in "Untitled (for Tim)," the exhibition showcases the power of art to preserve and reinterpret the past. Sari Dienes' "Letterbox" blurs the line between artwork and scrapbook, while Luc Tuymans' fractured landscapes in "At My Door" explore the subjectivity of memory and perception.
R: Luc Tuymans, My Door I, 2013. Watercolor on paper, 16 1/2 × 11 5/8 in. (41.9 × 29.5 cm). The Menil Collection, Houston. © Studio Luc Tuymans. Photo: Paul Hester
Assistant Curator Kelly Montana emphasizes, "The artists in this exhibition demonstrate a desire to say more than what personal ephemera, historical accounts, and selective memory leave behind. We hope that these works, many of which are new additions to our collection, will encourage visitors to reimagine how fraught memories and contested histories are accessed and how these recollections impact our present."
R: Denyse Thomasos, Wyoming Lash, 2000. Acrylic on paper, 30 1/16 × 22 3/8 in. (76.4 × 56.8 cm). The Menil Collection, Houston, Bequest of William F. Stern. © The Estate of Denyse Thomasos. Photo: Paul Hester
In the hands of this diverse roster of artists, including luminaries such as James Lee Byars, Jacob El Hanani, and Cy Twombly, "Fragments of Memory" transcends the boundaries of a mere exhibition. It becomes a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit, a poignant reminder of the stories we carry within us, and a clarion call to confront the ghosts of our past.
As visitors navigate the labyrinthine corridors of memory at the Menial Collection, they will find themselves not merely observers, but active participants in a shared journey of healing, understanding, and transformation. "Fragments of Memory" is more than an unforgettable experience; it is a vital exploration of the very essence of what it means to be human in a world shaped by the indelible marks of history.