For Immediate Release
Contact: Amy Day
Tel: 515.271.0344 (o)
515.612.0775 (c)
aday@desmoinesartcenter.org 

“The past is never dead. It isn’t even past.”
– William Faulkner 

DES MOINES, IOWA (January 2025) – The Des Moines Art Center is taking visitors on an exploration of the past and the future with their newest exhibition, “Time Travelers,” on view February 14 to May 11, 2025 in the Anna K. Meredith Gallery. 

“The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there,” states the opening line of a 1953 novel by English author L.P. Hartley. This sentence acknowledges the complexity and nuance of historic events and warns against nostalgia in the face of unreliable memory. William Faulkner’s similarly famous line, “The past is never dead. It isn’t even past,” seems to argue the opposite case, contending that history is always with us. The artists in “Time Travelers” create work that explores these two philosophical views and the various points in between. Beyond exploring folklore, history, and cultural products of bygone eras, the artists here reimagine elements of the past by employing craft techniques, borrowing antique objects and materials, and reclaiming ancient narratives. 

This exhibition is grounded in two ambitious, large-scale installations, both part of the Des Moines Art Center’s permanent collections: Mika Rottenberg’s “Cheese” and Tuấn Andrew Nguyễn’s “The Boat People.” Constructed from what appears to be old barn wood and small television monitors, “Cheese” takes inspiration from the real-life Sutherland sisters, who built a successful career on the basis of their long hair. Using surrealism and off-kilter humor, Rottenberg transforms the sisters into fairytale maidens, creating literal food from their famous hair. While highlighting individuals whose unusual lives are mostly forgotten, Rottenberg’s vision highlights the objectification and commodification of women’s bodies, a topic that remains relevant today. 

Nguyễn’s “The Boat People” places its characters in the future rather than the past. It is a cinematic, episodic film in which a group of children collect relics from a post-apocalyptic world, trying to decipher events from an almost-lost history. The children’s existential and ritualistic approach to the objects they find is poetic and poignant. Viewers, residents of the past these children explore, will recognize evidence of the all too real tragedies the fictional children can only guess at. 

“Time Travelers” is curated by Senior Curator Laura Burkhalter. Support for the exhibition is provided by the Harriet S. and J. Locke Macomber Art Center Fund. 

“Time Travelers” includes numerous related programs designed to introduce the community to the artists and the themes of the exhibition: 

Opening Celebration
Friday, February 21 | 5 – 7 pm
Free; no reservations required.
All are welcome to celebrate the Art Center’s newest exhibition and be among the first to view the art on display in the Anna K. Meredith Gallery. Enjoy complimentary cuisine from The Eggroll Ladies, plus light bites and desserts provided by The Tangerine Food Company. Cash bar available. Remarks at 6 pm. 

Gallery Talk: “Time-based Media with Senior Curator Laura Burkhalter
Sunday, March 9 | 1:30 pm
Free; Registration required
Join Senior Curator Laura Burkhalter for an interactive discussion that examines the role of time-based media in contemporary art and in the Des Moines Art Center’s permanent collections. Time-based media refers to art that is dependent on technology and has a durational dimension, such as video or sound art. Guests will discuss how to best experience this type of art in a gallery setting and walk through the works juxtaposed in the “Time Travelers” exhibition. 

Guided Drop-in Tours
Saturday, February 22 | 1 pm 
Saturday, April 5 | 1 pm 
Saturday, April 19 | 1 pm 
Free; no registration required
Step into the thought-provoking world of “Time Travelers” with a guided tour of this captivating exhibition. This tour features highlights from both the exhibition and the Des Moines Art Center’s permanent collections, offering a unique opportunity to reflect on how the past continues to shape our present.  

For more information or images from the exhibition, contact Senior Director of Communications and Marketing Amy Day at aday@desmoinesartcenter.org. Visit desmoinesartcenter.org for additional event details and registration information. 

About the Des Moines Art Center
The Des Moines Art Center is a vibrant, AAM-accredited (American Association of Museums) institution located in the capital city of Iowa that welcomes over 300,000 visitors annually from across the country and around the globe. Its historic campus consists of three buildings designed by major architects of the 20th century—Eliel Saarinen, I. M. Pei, and Richard Meier—incorporated into the natural landscape of Greenwood Park. The Art Center is home to one of the strongest collections of 20th and 21st century art in the region, and it hosts a series of ground-breaking exhibitions and lectures each year featuring artists known regionally, nationally, and internationally. The experimental art for which the Art Center cares is reflected in its creative offerings, including a celebrated education program that prioritizes access and collaboration, an art school with studio classes for all ages, and the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park, situated on 4.4 acres in downtown Des Moines. The Art Center is committed to the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion, which are incorporated into every facet of its mission and identity.

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