Agnes Denes (b. 1931 in Budapest, based in New York) is a leading figure in American conceptual art who rose to international attention in the Sixties and Seventies. Over the course of a pioneering, far-ranging career, she has employed a broad spectrum of languages and media to explore science, philosophy, linguistics, psychology, poetry, history, and music, in an artistic practice that weds aesthetics to social engagement. Her works, which are often on a monumental scale, bring together ecological, cultural and social concerns, forging an incredibly powerful dialogue between art, nature, and science. Denes has had over 500 exhibitions in galleries and museums around the world; she is also the author of numerous publications and the recipient of prestigious awards such as four National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships and the Rome Prize from the American Academy in Rome, among others. She is a Fellow at MIT and Carnegie Mellon University and received honorary doctorates from Bucknell University and Ripon College.
Agnes Denes
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Socrates Sculpture Park partners with a local public high school, NYC’s Academy for Careers in Television & Film (ACTvF), to document the park’s Exhibitions and Public Programs through a student-created film series. An ACTvF class begins filming in the park each spring and continues through the end of the year to capture both the production and presentation of our exhibitions and programs. This film is a short piece capturing the production and installation process of The Living Pyramid (2015) by Agnes Denes — a large-scale, site-specific earthwork that spans 30-feet at its base and ascends 30-feet high, created from more than 25,000 lbs of soil, as well as flowers and grasses planted by the artist and community. Support The Living Pyramid was made possible, in part, with major support from the David Rockefeller Fund to honor founder David Rockefeller on the occasion of his 100th birthday. The park’s 2015 Exhibition Program is supported, in part, with generous funding from Charina Endowment Fund, Mark di Suvero, Sidney E. Frank Foundation, Maxine and Stuart Frankel Foundation for Art, Jerome Foundation, Agnes Gund, Lambent Foundation, Ronay and Richard Menschel, Ivana Mestrovic, Plant Specialists, Shelley and Donald Rubin, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Smith, Spacetime C. C.; and contributions from our Board of Directors. These programs are funded, in part, by public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo, and the New York State Legislature, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.
(2015) Agnes Denes, The Living Pyramid
Agnes Denes