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MoMA exhibition explores photography's complex relationship with sculpture from 1839 to present

exhibition · 2026-04-22

From August 1 to November 1, 2010, the Museum of Modern Art in New York hosted 'The Original Copy: Photography of Sculpture, 1839 to Today,' under the curation of Roxana Marcoci. This exhibition investigated how photography has influenced the perception and documentation of sculpture, featuring a range from classical to modern works. Notable sections included 'Sculpture in the Age of Photography,' showcasing early images by William Henry Fox Talbot and Clarence Kennedy, along with 26 prints of Constantin Brancusi's sculptures. The exhibition also highlighted figures such as Rodin and included Dada and surrealist contributions, with performances by Yves Klein and Yayoi Kusama. Additionally, it addressed found objects as sculptural themes and concluded with land art documentation from Robert Smithson and others, challenging traditional institutional classifications.

Key facts

  • Exhibition ran from August 1 to November 1, 2010 at The Museum of Modern Art in New York
  • Curated by Roxana Marcoci from MoMA's Photography department
  • Featured 26 prints of Constantin Brancusi's photographs of his own sculpture, borrowed from Centre Pompidou
  • Included early photographs of classical statues by William Henry Fox Talbot and Clarence Kennedy
  • Showcased Rodin's use of photography through works by Eugène Druet, Jacques-Ernest Bulloz, and Edward Steichen
  • Man Ray's photograph of Marcel Duchamp's 'The Bride Stripped Bare' was co-attributed to both artists
  • Yves Klein's 'Leap into the Void' credited Klein as artist with photographers Harry Shunk and János Kender noted parenthetically
  • Featured land art documentation by Robert Smithson, Michael Heizer, and Richard Long

Entities

Artists

Institutions

Locations

  • New York City
  • United States
  • Paris
  • France
  • Versailles
  • South Africa
  • Bethulie
  • Poland
  • Japan
  • New York

Sources