National 9/11 Memorial Museum Opens 'Rendering the Unthinkable' for 15th Anniversary
Thirteen New York-based artists, all direct witnesses to the 9/11 attacks, present works in 'Rendering the Unthinkable: Artists Respond to 9/11' at the National 9/11 Memorial Museum starting September 12, 2016. The exhibition marks the fifteenth anniversary of the World Trade Center destruction. Artists include the Blue Man Group performance collective, Gustavo Bonevardi (whose 'Falling' series captures the towers' collapse from his Manhattan studio window), Tobi Kahn (using wood from the rubble), Michael Mulhern (incorporating dust and ash from Ground Zero), Colleen Mulrenan MacFarlane (a video dedicated to her firefighter father), and Monika Bravo (a video filmed from the 92nd floor of the North Tower the day before the attacks). The selection prioritizes empathy and direct experience over artistic fame.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'Rendering the Unthinkable: Artists Respond to 9/11' opens September 12, 2016 at National 9/11 Memorial Museum.
- 13 artists participate, all residents of New York who witnessed the 9/11 attacks directly.
- Gustavo Bonevardi's 'Falling' series depicts the towers' collapse as seen from his Manhattan studio.
- Tobi Kahn created an installation using wood recovered from the World Trade Center rubble.
- Michael Mulhern uses dust and ash from Ground Zero as painting material.
- Colleen Mulrenan MacFarlane's video honors her firefighter father who worked at the site.
- Monika Bravo's video was filmed from the 92nd floor of the North Tower on September 10, 2001.
- The exhibition marks the 15th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Entities
Artists
- Blue Man Group
- Gustavo Bonevardi
- Tobi Kahn
- Michael Mulhern
- Colleen Mulrenan MacFarlane
- Monika Bravo
Institutions
- National 9/11 Memorial Museum
- Artribune
Locations
- New York
- Manhattan
- Brooklyn
- World Trade Center
- Ground Zero