The staff at the Whitney Museum, who belong to a union, are planning to walk off the job on the following Monday, October 5, unless they manage to secure a fair contract with the institution before the major Lichtenstein show opens. One member of the group is carrying a “Whitney Workers Build Biennials” sign.
A major retrospective of late Pop artist Roy Lichtenstein is currently being planned at the museum, and it is against that backdrop that the strike has broken out. The union has fixed a date and stated its position plainly: either the museum agrees to a fair contract, or there will be no work done.
The Margolles Exhibition at MoMA PS1
A major new exhibition has opened at MoMA PS1, and it’s drawing attention away from the Whitney standoff currently unfolding nearby. Teresa Margolles, who hails from Culiacán and works in Mexico City, is mounting her first large-scale U.S. museum show. It’s titled En el lugar de los hechos, or At the Scene, and it spans both MoMA PS1 and the Museum of Modern Art.
The artist Margolles takes on the increased violence at locations along the US-Mexico border, naming Ciudad Juárez and El Paso, Texas among them. Her work also reflects other places marked by cruelty. According to reviewer Alex Santana, the installation uses water drawn from sites of violence across New York, released through humidifiers.
“This is a room anyone could walk into and walk right out of, perhaps mistakenly thinking it is an auxiliary maintenance area of the museum,” Santana writes.
What the Strike Means for the Lichtenstein Show
What makes this action stand out is its timing. The workers are asking for a fair contract before the preview week for Lichtenstein’s retrospective begins.
The sign with the “Whitney Workers Build Biennials” marker indicates the workers consider themselves vital to the museum’s running. It suggests they construct the biennials and wish to be acknowledged for their contribution.
Other News From the Art World
The Whitney strike is not the only labor story in town. Minnesotan activists unfurled a 24-foot-long “Stolen Neighbors” quilt representing the individuals disappeared by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Staff Writer Rhea Nayyar reports on the 21st edition of the Art in Odd Places festival, which took place outside on Manhattan’s 14th Street during a nor’easter. The festival offers a break from the September madness.
Kenzi Shiokava’s exhibition at the MCA Chicago was reviewed by Lori Waxman, who called the work intricate and exquisite. She described his sculptures as wooden monuments made from railroad ties that were carved and burned, branches balanced against each other, and bones stacked up. Waxman wrote that every young artist should see this show because he “lived a life in art that was slow, deliberate, sincere, joyful, and profoundly worthwhile.”
Comparing the Two Shows
| Show | Location | Artist | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lichtenstein retrospective | Whitney Museum | Roy Lichtenstein | Late Pop art |
| Margolles exhibition | MoMA PS1/MoMA | Teresa Margolles | Violence at US-Mexico border |
The two shows represent very different subjects:
- The Lichtenstein retrospective focuses on late Pop art.
- The Margolles exhibition addresses violence at the US-Mexico border.
What Happens Next
A deadline has been set by the workers, who demand a fair contract and are prepared to walk out in order to secure it.
A walkout has been set for Monday, October 5, while talks keep going on. It is not yet known if the two sides will come to terms.
The preview week at the museum will carry on with the workers having walked out instead of working, unless a deal is reached among them.
Source material: “Whitney Museum Workers Declare Strike,” Hyperallergic.
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