Un/Natural Selections: Wildlife in Contemporary Art
May 22, 2021 - August 22, 2021
Un/Natural Selections: Wildlife in Contemporary Art considers the diverse ways that contemporary artists employ animal imagery to address humanity’s interconnectedness and ever-changing relationship with the natural world. Comprised of approximately 50 artworks (c. 2000-2019) exclusively from the Museum’s permanent collection, this exhibition offers a wide range of works in a variety of media divided into four thematic sections: Tradition, Politics, Science, and Aesthetics. These sections act as overlapping chapters, investigating the ways we use animal imagery to tackle human concerns.
This exhibition has been translated in Spanish.
Los animales salvajes han estado presentes en el arte desde que los artistas comenzaron a pintar imágenes en las paredes de las cavernas o a tallar figurillas en piedra. Sin embargo, en la actualidad, estamos atravesando la sexta extinción en masa, en una época conocida como Antropoceno, caracterizada por la influencia del ser humano sobre el medioambiente. En esta era, los humanos deben reconciliarse no solo con la idea de cómo sobrevivir en un entorno siempre cambiante, sino también de cómo mantener nuestra relación, en constante evolución, con la vida silvestre. Los artistas contemporáneos incluyen animales salvajes en sus obras para abordar una serie de cuestiones apremiantes, a la vez que continúan ampliando las nociones sobre el arte de la vida silvestre.
Compuesta exclusivamente de obras pertenecientes a la colección permanente del Museo, esta exposición ofrece una amplia variedad de obras en una diversidad de medios que se dividen en cuatro secciones temáticas: tradición, política, ciencia y estética. Estos campos actúan como capítulos superpuestos e investigan las maneras en que utilizamos la imaginería animal para afrontar preocupaciones humanas.
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Staff Picks
Through May 10, 2026Curating this exhibit has been an exercise in collaboration, which is one of our core values at the Museum. We began by asking each staff member to make a short list of some of their favorite works in the collection. Then, the curatorial team took them to see a few of those pieces. We asked the staff to look for artworks that were not already on display and would not be part of any upcoming exhibitions. A person’s taste in art is so uniquely personal and individual to who they are. This exhibition is not only an opportunity for you to get to know our staff, but it is also a chance to discover new pieces in the permanent collection—or perhaps to see old favorites in a new light.
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Two of a Kind?
Through April 26, 2026This exhibition is an exercise in comparison. It invites visitors to consider pairs of artworks, drawn primarily from the Museum’s permanent collection, and contemplate the question posed by its title: are these artworks truly Two of a Kind?
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