March 23, 2005

Conceptual Art Pioneer Kosuth To Give 2005 Russell Lecture

By Inga Kiderra

The Visual Arts Department of the University of California, San Diego and the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego have selected conceptual art pioneer Joseph Kosuth as the featured guest of the 2005 UCSD/MCASD Russell Lecture.

Kosuth will give a public talk on his life and his art April 12, at 7 p.m., in the Sherwood Auditorium of MCASD La Jolla, 700 Prospect St. Admission is free. A reception begins at 6 p.m.

As part of the Russell Lecture program, Kosuth will also visit with UCSD visual arts students and faculty on April 13.

Internationally renowned for his language-based works, conceptual artist Kosuth first began exploring the relation of language to art in the 1960s. His decades-long inquiry has taken the form of installations, museum exhibitions, public commissions and publications throughout Europe, the Americas and Asia. His pieces have been included in five Documenta and four Venice Biennale exhibitions, and he has received numerous awards, including the Brandeis Award, Frederick Weisman Award and Chevalier de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettre. Currently a professor at the Kunstakademie Munich and Istituto Universitario di Architettura, Venice, Kosuth was also represented on a postage stamp issued by the French government.

The Russell Lecture, a partnership program of UCSD and MCASD, has been bringing contemporary artists to San Diego since 1980. Past lecturers have included Doug Aitken, Trinh T. Minh-ha, Komar & Melamid, and John Baldessari. Supported by the Elizabeth W. Russell Foundation, the program “fosters the appreciation and study of the modern visual arts and the creativity of artists.” A longtime supporter of both the museum and the university, Russell was MCASD’s first docent and established an endowment fund to acquire works for the museum’s permanent collection.

For directions to MCASD La Jolla, call (858) 454-3541, Ext. 151 or visit http://www.mcasd.org.

Media Contact: Inga Kiderra, (858) 822-0661