54Th Carnegie International

When Andrew Carnegie founded the Carnegie Museum of Art, his goal was to introduce the people of Pittsburgh to paintings by modern American and European artists. His vision for developing the collection program centered on purchases from an annual exhibition of modern art, now known as the Carnegie International. First held in 1896, the exhibition is the longest running survey of recent art in North America. What was modern then is contemporary in 2004, and the 54th Carnegie International promises to fulfill the exhibition's long-standing tradition of assembling the best contemporary art from around the world . A large-format, fully illustrated exhibition catalogue accompanies this tightly conceived exhibition of interrelated projects grouped around three small monographic exhibitions. These three exhibitions present the work of artists whose lengthy and influential oeuvres serve as touchstones for the larger exhibition. Catalogue entries prepared by a variety of writers with curatorial or critical expertise document the work of 40 artists from all over the world. The artists range in age from 28 to 80 and work in diverse media, including painting, sculpture, installation, performance, film, video, animation, and ceramics. (Artists will be announced in June 2004.) Each artist will be presented through a short essay accompanied by a three-page spread of color images, as well as comprehensive biographical and bibliographic information. The catalogue features an introduction by Laura Hoptman, curator, and expanded essays on three artists will punctuate the book.