The Renaissance Society presents Francis Alÿs, September 28 - December 14, 2008

Francis Alÿs, Bolero (Shoe Shine Blues), 1996-2007
Graphite, tape, and collage on vellum
384 framed drawings, installed with DVD animation, 9:40 min, maquette, wooden table, and string
Dimensions variable
©Francis Alÿs
Courtesy the artist and David Zwirner, New York


Opening reception on September 28, from 4 to 7 pm, with a talk with the artist from 5 to 6 pm in Cobb Hall 307 (directly below the gallery)

The Renaissance Society will present the first solo Midwest museum exhibition of Mexico City-based artist Francis Alÿs. Using diverse media, Alÿs’ work frequently addresses Latin America’s recurrent social, economic, and political troubles. For his exhibition at The Society, Alÿs will present his animation Bolero, along with the 511 graphite drawings from which the animation is made, and Politics of Rehearsal, a 30-minute video that combines footage of a speech by President Truman, narration by critic Cuauhtémoc Medina, and a rehearsal for a striptease. Rehearsal parallels sociopolitical promises from Latin America with the tactics of a stripper—always leaving something to be desired.

An interview with Francis Alys