Houston-born internationally renowned conceptual artist Mel Chin will speak as part of Rice University’s Campbell Lecture Series on November 12 and 13.
In a Rice News article, Kathleen Canning, Dean of Humanities, said, “Mel Chin’s work challenges us to reconsider the boundaries of art and its role in addressing some of society’s most pressing issues. His ability to merge artistic expression with environmental and social activism makes him an ideal speaker for the Campbell Lecture Series, where we celebrate the intersection of creativity and critical thought.”
Each lecture will take place at 6 p.m. and will cover different topics. On Tuesday, November 12, Mr. Chin will present Real Life Boogie: The Inadequate Metaphor vs. the Evolutionary Process, in which he will discuss the themes and inspirations of his wide-ranging oeuvre. On Wednesday, November 13, in his lecture When the Going Gets Weird… the artist will share about how his art engages with larger world issues such as social and environmental challenges.
Natasha Bowdoin, Associate Professor in Art and Associate Dean of Humanities for Undergraduate Programs and Special Projects, remarked, “Mel Chin is a catalyst. There is a radical generosity to his work and practice. He makes it a mission to help create space in which others’ ideas can be realized. Much of his work is made in collaboration with students, other artists, and thinkers — sometimes whole neighborhoods. I can’t think of a better or more important model to share with students, faculty, and beyond.”
Mr. Chin is known for working in various art disciplines and often in a collaborative manner. His 1990 Revival Field, was a pioneer in the field of “green remediation,” using plants to extract toxic metals from the soil, and led to new developments in environmental art. From 1995 to 1998, he led the collective The GALA Committee, which produced the public art piece Name of the Place, which covertly inserted art into episodes of the TV show Melrose Place. In 2017, his animated short film 9-11/9-11, which addresses both the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York (2001) and the U.S.-supported military overthrow of Chilean President Salvador Allende (1973), won the Pedro Sienna Award for Animation in Chile.
In 2018, during a 40-year retrospective hosted by the Queens Museum, Mr. Chin also displayed the public artworks Wake and Unmoored, in New York City’s Times Square. The two pieces, the former a more traditional sculpture and the latter an augmented reality experience, both address issues related to global warming and rising sea levels. In 2019, Mr. Chin was a recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship and in 2021 he was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Currently, his work is included in the Prospect New Orleans triennial.
Click here to register to attend one or both of the lectures in person, or click here to register to attend via Zoom. The lectures will take place at the Moody Center for the Arts Lois Chiles Studio Theater.
