Anna K. Meredith Gallery
October 2, 2009 – January 10, 2010

Return to Function brings together an international group of contemporary artists whose work blurs the line between art and the everyday object. As the title of the show implies, each piece in this exhibition has a function, from a cellular phone that doubles as an exercise machine to a do-it-yourself coffin. These works look like items we buy and use on a daily basis, but contain a rich commentary on the relationship between ourselves and our possessions, exposing issues surrounding global economics, environmental concerns, and the pervasive nature of advertising. The artists included offer innovative solutions to old tasks, and suggest that objects can play a central role in improving our lives.

Return to Function is curated by Jane Simon of the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Wisconsin, and is accompanied by a catalogue with essays by Ami Barak, Martha Schwendener, and Jane Simon. The exhibition is organized for the Des Moines Art Center by Laura Burkhalter, associate curator.

Generous funding for Return to Function has been provided by Etant Donnés: The French American Fund for Contemporary Art, a program of FACE; Daniel Erdman; MillerCoors; the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission with additional funds from the Overture Foundation; the Terry Family Foundation; the Art League of the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art; and a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board, with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts. The Des Moines Art Center presentation of this exhibition is sponsored by Bank of the West; programming support provided by Target.

Return to Function
Related Programs

Conversations on Art: Andrea Zittel

Thursday, October 22, 6:30 pm
Levitt Auditorium
FREE admission, reservations required*

Internationally acclaimed artist Andrea Zittel is literally a one-woman corporation titled A-Z Administrative Services, an artistic enterprise that creates functional objects to tackle basic human needs including clothing, food, furniture, and housing. Her piece A-Z Wagon Station customized by Aaron Noble (2007), featured in Return to Function, addresses our need for transportation and shelter. Additionally, Zittel’s work often investigates escaping sets of controls, such as how architecture, design, and even time, direct behavior. “A constant in all of my practice is an on-going interest in the very fine line that divides a liberating experience between something that’s restrictive,” states Zittel. Join us as she discusses her fascinating work and the themes presented in Return to Function.

*Reservations for this FREE lecture are required and available exclusively through IowaTIX beginning Monday, October 5, 2009. Reserve your seats at www.IowaTIX.com or by phone at 515.277.3727 (9 am — 5 pm, Monday — Friday).

Gallery Talk

Laura Burkhalter, associate curator
Thursday, December 3, 6:30 pm
Anna K. Meredith Gallery
FREE admission

Join Burkhalter as she discusses the artists and works in this exhibition.

Guided Tours

We are pleased to offer guided tours of Return to Function and the permanent collections. We can accommodate groups from two to 90 people. It’s a perfect activity for a family, work team, or social group. Please schedule at least three weeks in advance. Contact Jennifer Cooley at jcooley@desmoinesartcenter.org or call 515.271.0328.

Adult Group Tours
$2 per person / $20 minimum fee

Student Tours
FREE

Drop-in Tours
FREE
11:30 am
Meet an Art Center docent in the lobby of the Art Center on Grand for a 30-minute tour of Return to Function.
October 10 & 24
November 14
December 12
January 9, 2010

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