Shahzia Sikander to Speak at the University of Houston on October 31

At the close of Shahzia Sikander’s temporary public art installation at the University of Houston (UH), the UH School of Art will host the artist as part of its Visiting Speaker Series.

Ms. Sikander was commissioned by the Public Art of the University of Houston System (Public Art UHS) in partnership with Madison Square Park Conservancy to create a temporary public art exhibition, Havah… to breathe, air, life. The exhibition includes Witness, an 18-foot golden sculpture of a female figure, and Reckoning, a video animation of warrior-like figures in a graceful struggle. Following protests and an online petition launched by Texas Right to Life, which claimed the artwork featured “satanic imagery” and “honor[ed] abortion,” Public UHS canceled the opening reception and artist talk, which had originally been scheduled for February 28. 

Shahzia Sikander, “Havah… to breathe, air, life”

This decision sparked concern among UH students and faculty, who held public conversations about the protests and the cancelation of the opening events. Then during the summer, as storms generated by Hurricane Beryl hit the Houston area, Ms. Sikander’s Witness was beheaded by an unknown vandal. Within a week, the UH Police Department released surveillance footage of the vandalization. Since the damage to the piece occurred, it has remained on view without repairs, as the artist requested.

Shahzia Sikander, “Witness.” Photo credit University of Houston staff.

Though at the time of the cancelation of the opening reception, Public Art UHS stated the artist talk was merely being postponed, a subsequent talk was never rescheduled. Ms. Sikander and UH have given differing accounts regarding the cancellation or postponement of the artist talk. The artist noted on social media that she did not ask for the opening event or talk to be canceled or postponed, but a spokesperson for UH told Glasstire that Ms. Sikander stated she did not want to come to Houston.

Notably, the talk that will take place on Thursday, October 31, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., has been organized through UH’s Kathrine G. Mcgovern College of the Arts, rather than Public Art UHS. The event will feature Ms. Sikander in conversation with Dr. Paul M. Farber, a curator and historian who serves as the Director of Monument Lab and the Senior Research Scholar at the Center for Public Art and Space at the University of Pennsylvania.

Andrew Davis, Dean of the Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts, told Glasstire, “The origin of the event is completely separate from the Public Art program and from any of the events that occurred last spring… Our faculty invited Sikander because she is a timely and relevant guest on this year’s series, and of course I fully supported the decision. We are thrilled to be able to bring her, and Paul Farber, to the University of Houston campus and we very much look forward to the insights they will provide.”

The talk will take place at the Moores Opera House on the UH campus, located at 333 Cullen Boulevard. Register here for a free ticket and learn more about the Visiting Speaker Series via the UH website.