Shirazeh Houshiary featured in Moody Center for the Arts' Rothko Chapel celebratory exhibition

17 February 2021

The Moody Center for the Arts (MCA) in Houston, Texas, will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Rothko Chapel by presenting a unique group exhibition, 'Artists and the Rothko Chapel: 50 Years of Inspiration' from 16 February to 15 May 2021. Highlighting the extraordinary impact the Rothko Chapel has had on both artists and the public since opening in 1971, the two-part presentation will restage the 1975 exhibition 'Marden, Novros, Rothko: Painting in the Age of Actuality', as well as look to the future with contemporary works by artists of diverse ages, nationalities and backgrounds, as a means of exploring the wide-reaching influence of the non-denominational Chapel.

Presented at the MCA for the first time since it was shown at Lisson Gallery's 50th anniversary exhibition 'Everything At Once' in 2017, Shirazeh Houshairy's ambitious installation Breath (2003) comprises four animations on screens placed on the walls of a purpose-built chamber. Each screen is a visualization of the imprint of the breath of vocalists expanding and contracting as they hum songs from four religions: Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, and Sufism. The delicate organic forms that register the vocalists’ breath and the audible succession of chants envelop viewers, immersing them in diverse cultures. Also on view is Houshiary's large-scale 2019 painting in vibrant red pigment and graphite, Flare-up.

Find further information via MCA.

Image courtesy Moody Center for the Arts. Photo by Nash Baker.