doug aitken: NEW HORIZON
a digital profile
navigate the edge of society
text by pedro alonzo
At a time of an unprecedented flow of information and technological advancement, global society struggles to reconcile established socio-political narratives within a quickly shifting landscape. The endless bombardment of meaningless information muddles reality and isolates individuals. The speed of constant change challenges humanity to adapt, creating apprehension about a future that is increasingly difficult to visualize.
Throughout his practice, Doug Aitken has responded to the effects of information, media and imagery on the human condition. New Horizon, 2019 provided a stunning platform to explore the notion of the future from the perspective of a reflective hot air balloon that journeyed across the state of Massachusetts last summer. New Horizon was a multifaceted art event that challenged the notion of art in the 21st century. Commissioned by the Trustees, a conservation group, Aitken responded to the idyllic New England landscape with a road trip connecting the Trustee properties throughout the state. Aitken defied New England’s regional impulse to dwell on its impressive history by instead focusing on the future through a series of conversations developed with leading organizations for each site. Each event focused on a theme about the future of society, presenting a series of leading figures to address the future of information, architecture, climate, art and digital technology. The balloon functioned as a beacon that brought people together for a series of carefully curated events, a choreography of art, music and discussion that unfolded across the landscape.
Doug Aitken crafted a once in a lifetime experience that highlighted the contributions of leading organizations such as the Trustees, Woods Hole Research Center, The World Frontiers Forum and the Boston Globe. The collaborative endeavor provided a new perspective on global challenges. New Horizon helped us transcend our limitations to conjure the future by providing us with an elevated platform to visualize future outcomes.
project documentation
Over the course of seventeen days in July, a hot air balloon designed as a reflective and kinetic light sculpture traveled from iconic Trustees land conservation sites in Martha’s Vineyard, greater Boston, to the Berkshires, making seven stops along the way for a series of site-specific happenings and conversations regarding the future of our culture.
Doug Aitken, New Horizon, 2019, Hot air balloon with reflective surface and kinetic light sculpture, multiple locations across Massachusetts. Image courtesy of the Artist and the Trustees of Reservations; Photo by Carmen Ellis
Doug Aitken, New Horizon, 2019, Hot air balloon with reflective surface and kinetic light sculpture, multiple locations across Massachusetts. Image courtesy of the Artist and the Trustees of Reservations; Photo by Jamie Barron
Doug Aitken, New Horizon, 2019, Hot air balloon with reflective surface and kinetic light sculpture, multiple locations across Massachusetts. Image courtesy of the Artist and the Trustees of Reservations; Photo by Jamie Barron
Doug Aitken, New Horizon, 2019, Hot air balloon with reflective surface and kinetic light sculpture, multiple locations across Massachusetts. Image courtesy of the Artist and the Trustees of Reservations; Photo by Carmen Ellis
Doug Aitken, New Horizon, 2019, Hot air balloon with reflective surface and kinetic light sculpture, multiple locations across Massachusetts. Image courtesy of the Artist and the Trustees of Reservations; Photo by Carmen Ellis
Doug Aitken, New Horizon, 2019, Hot air balloon with reflective surface and kinetic light sculpture, multiple locations across Massachusetts. Image courtesy of the Artist and the Trustees of Reservations; Photo by Jamie Barron
Doug Aitken, New Horizon, 2019, Hot air balloon with reflective surface and kinetic light sculpture, multiple locations across Massachusetts. Image courtesy of the Artist and the Trustees of Reservations; Photo by Jamie Barron
in conversation: doug aitken + pedro alonzo
DC was delighted to host a conversation between artist Doug Aitken and DC’s adjunct curator Pedro Alonzo. The talk focused on Aitken’s 2019 project New Horizon and took place virtually on 15 October 2020.
building futures
Dallas Contemporary hosted a virtual conversation inspired by Doug Aitken’s New Horizon. This casual panel discussion addressed themes explored during the project’s 17 day journey last year, how our responses to these forward-looking topics have changed, what the new vision of the future may be, + how we all move forward together. Featured topics included the future of information, identity, our climate, + creativity.
Moderated by Terri Thornton, Fort Worth-based artist + Curator of Education at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, the panel featured Christina Rees, Editor-in-Chief at Glasstire, Rachel Weaver, Denton-based artist, writer + environmentalist, + Beatriz Cortez, LA-based artist + scholar.
about doug aitken
Doug Aitken is an artist whose practice defies definitions of genre through its exploration of every medium, from film and installations to architectural interventions. Recent solo exhibitions have been held at Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, 2016; Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC, 2012; The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 2007; Serpentine Gallery, London, 2001; and Vienna Secession, Austria, 2000. He earned the International Prize at the 48th Venice Biennale, Italy, 1999. Aitken is the recipient of the Nam June Paik Art Center Prize, 2012; Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award: Visual Arts, 2013; the inaugural Frontier Art Prize, 2017; and the ArtCenter College of Design Lifetime Achievement Award, 2019.