Mechtild Widrich is an Assistant Professor of Art History, Theory, and Criticism at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her work delves into art and visual cultures, frequently exploring themes of modernity, urbanism, and their visual representations. She investigates how artistic expressions and architectural forms shape our understanding of the world and our place within it. Widrich's approach integrates theoretical insights with rigorous analysis of specific artworks and their historical contexts.
Monumental cares links the monument debate of the last decade to the history of realism, showing how art can address problems like the climate crisis, migration and authoritarian politics. Case studies range from Chicago and Berlin to Oslo, Bucharest and Hong Kong, in media ranging from marble and glass to cardboard, graffiti and re-enactment. -- .
Argues the conceptual significance of performance, and of a performative model of art, to the revival of the monument in the wake of the Second World War, the Holocaust and the fall of the Eastern bloc. -- . číst celé