William Pope.L Receives 2017 Bucksbaum Award for Whitney Biennial Installation

William Pope.L has been selected as the recipient of the 2017 Bucksbaum Award, announced by Adam D. Weinder, the Whitney Museum's Alice Pratt-Brown director. The Chicago-based artist, whose practice spans performance, painting, installation, video, sculpture and theatre over four decades, will receive $100,000 and an exhibition at the museum next autumn. Created and produced by Tiffany & Co, the prize recognizes an artist whose work in the Whitney Biennial demonstrates lasting impact on American art history. For the biennial, Pope.L presented Claim (Whitney Version) (2017), featuring 2,755 slices of bologna sausage arranged in a gridlike display on the walls, each accompanied by a black-and-white portrait. Throughout the exhibition's duration, the slices leaked oily juices collected in small floor basins while emitting a pungent smell. The installation reportedly represented the percentage of Jewish citizens in New York, examining how communities and identities become abstract through statistics. Pope.L's work consistently addresses issues of gender, race, social struggle and community. The award is presented at the conclusion of each Whitney Biennial.