Free For All
GALLERY HOURS (during exhibitions)
Monday - Saturday, 11am – 4pm
Open Thursdays until 7pm
May 17 - July 6, 2019

Jennifer Wen Ma

CRY JOY PARK—GARDENS OF DARK AND LIGHT

May 17 - July 6, 2019

Jennifer Wen Ma

CRY JOY PARK—GARDENS OF DARK AND LIGHT

The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art is proud to present a solo exhibition by Jennifer Wen Ma, entitled Cry Joy Park—Gardens of Dark and Light.

Cry Joy Park—Gardens of Dark and Light is an investigation into the construct of a utopia, inspired by the history of Charleston, South Carolina: a cultural and artistic capital of the American South, and an exemplar of its opulence and beauty. This installation aims to present both an alluring, gorgeous and otherworldly garden, and its darker counterpart. The worlds created by the exhibition are a juxtaposition of utopia and dystopia and are presented via an immersive multisensory experience that utilizes various forms of communication to convey its message.

The installation features two separate gardens: a Dark one and a Light one, both representing a yin/yang balance between utopias and dystopias. Her exhibition will also feature collaborations with the School of the Arts at the College of Charleston, which will take the form of interdisciplinary performances by students in the visual arts, theatre, dance, music, creative writing, and more. Ma has also organized a series of community dinners that will serve as platforms to discuss specific issues facing Charleston, such as social justice and gentrification.

As a part of Cry Joy Park, Jennifer Wen Ma has conceived of a series of Luncheons in the Garden in which the public is invited to be a part of conversations dealing with themes of the exhibition. During three Saturdays in June and July, the public is invited to bring a bag lunch and break bread with the artist and members of the community in the Halsey Institute’s galleries. Each Luncheon in the Garden will feature a collaborative performance by musician, dancer, or poet relating to the theme.

Cry Joy Park—Gardens of Dark and Light is co-curated by Mark Sloan, Director and Chief Curator, and Bryan Granger, Director of Exhibitions and Public Programs at the Halsey Institute. This exhibition is generously supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, The Henry and Sylvia Yaschik Foundation and The E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation. Cry Joy Park—Gardens of Dark and Light is an official visual arts offering of the City of Charleston’s Piccolo Spoleto Festival 2019.

The Halsey Institute commissioned Hed Hi Media to create a short documentary on Ma and her work in the exhibition:

Jennifer Wen Ma

CRY JOY PARK—GARDENS OF DARK AND LIGHT

May 17 - July 6, 2019
Opening Reception
Halsey Institute galleries
Thursday, May 16, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Artist Talk
Halsey Institute galleries
Saturday, May 18, 2:00 PM
Halsey Talks: Utopias
Halsey Institute galleries
Tuesday, June 11, 6:30 PM
Family Day!
Halsey Institute galleries
Saturday, June 15, 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Luncheon in the Garden: Land Justice
Halsey Institute galleries
Saturday, June 22, 12:00 PM
Curator-led Tour for Members
Halsey Institute galleries
Thursday, June 27, 6:00 PM
Luncheon in the Garden: Re-entry into society after incarceration
Halsey Institute galleries
Saturday, June 29, 12:00 PM
Luncheon in the Garden: Food politics
Halsey Institute galleries
Saturday, July 6, 12:00 PM
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About the artist

Jennifer Wen Ma (b. 1973, Beijing) moved to the United States in 1986 and graduated with an MFA in 1999 from the Pratt Institute. Her practice draws together elements and cultural references in sensitive and unexpected ways, bridging such diverse media as installation, drawing, video, public art, design, performance, and theater. Trained as an oil painter, Ma was one of seven members of the core creative team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and received an Emmy Award for their broadcast. Since then, she has increasingly delved into the material and philosophical qualities of the Chinese ink tradition.

Her work has been shown around the world, including the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing; the Guggenheim Museum, New York; and the Metropolitan Museum, New York. Her opera Paradise Interrupted was performed at Spoleto Festival USA in 2015, among other locations around the globe.

Learn more at https://www.littlemeat.net/

Exhibition Sponsors

National Endowment for the Arts

The E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation

The Henry and Sylvia Yaschik Foundation

The Bishop Family Foundation

Bette Mueller-Roemer + Walter Crocker

Mindelle Seltzer + Robert Lovinger

e.e. fava architects

Tyler and Sunshine Leinbach

Worthwhile

Anonymous

Susan Bass + Tom Bradford

Sandra L. Fowler

Neva and Richard Gadsden

Colin Johnson

Nunally Kersh + Robert Stehling

Susan Perkins + Kent Whittman

Nancye Starnes + David Hughes

Bill and Ashley Warnock

Pat Votava

Marissa Sams

Cisco H. and Anne Lindsey

Ruth Rambo

 

 

Luncheons in the Garden

As a part of Cry Joy Park—Gardens of Dark and Light, Jennifer Wen Ma has conceived of a series of Luncheons in the Garden in which the public will be invited to be a part of conversations dealing with themes of the exhibition. The public is invited to bring a bag lunch and break bread with other members of the community in the Halsey Institute galleries. Each Luncheon in the Garden will also feature a collaborative performance by musician, dancer, or poet relating to the theme. For this Luncheon, the artist will be discussing land issues facing the Lowcountry.

Land issues
Saturday, June 22, 12:00 PM

Re-entry into society after incarceration
Saturday, June 29, 12:00 PM

Food justice
Saturday, July 6, 12:00 PM

Exhibition video

JENNIFER WEN MA: CRY JOY PARK—GARDENS OF DARK AND LIGHT

Exhibition video [Mandarin]

JENNIFER WEN MA: CRY JOY PARK—GARDENS OF DARK AND LIGHT [MANDARIN]

Free For All
GALLERY HOURS (during exhibitions)
Monday - Saturday, 11am – 4pm
Open Thursdays until 7pm
843.953.4422


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