Beyond NYC: Mark Dion Follies at Storm King Art Center

Storm King Art Center presents a survey of works by an American conceptual artist Mark Dion titled Follies; on view until November 11, 2019

The rolling hills and wooded greenery of the Storm King Art Center make a perfect site to display the architectural follies created by the conceptual artists Mark Dion. Known for his scientific installations and exploration into momentous obsessions, Dion’s follies which are presented as self-contained thematic stations,  can be found on the vest outdoor grounds of the park and at its museum galleries.

The peculiar structures by Dion are situated around the North Woods, Meadows, and South fields sections of the park. They fit so perfectly to the surrounding nature that they require some effort to be found. Rewarding those who are brave enough to venture into the woods and to the far parts of the center, the art tells stories about various traits of human behavior and life circumstances. Some of the installations are created for interactive use. Others can only be observed from afar. But a unifying theme for the art is its gentle nudge to look at the conventional objects in a new light as symbols and symptoms of affection.

The 9 pieces positioned outdoors explore a human interest in nature, environments, scientific observation, and even confectionary temptation. The works housed indoors closely scrutinize the dark sides of life choices. Both mellow and sharp, the artworks emphasize the disruptive nature of even simple action. The exhibition review in the FT notes that “hunting, finding, collecting, measuring, preserving — these activities common to art, sport and science merge in Dion’s work”. This kaleidoscope of objects makes a parallel to the prior centuries personal collections of curiosities. It fascinates and makes one pause to rethink humans’ relationship with the environment. Look around, contemplate, and wonder about a way to bring more harmony into everyday life. Visit the Storm King Art Center and enjoy Mark Dion: Follies exhibit!  

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Mark Dion was born in 1961 in New Bedford, Massachusetts. He initially studied in 1981-2 at the Hartford Art School of the University of Hartford in Connecticut, which awarded him a BFA (1986) and honorary doctorate in 2002. From 1983 to 1984 he attended the School of Visual Arts in New York and then the prestigious Whitney Museum of American Art’s Independent Study Program(1984-1985). He is an Honorary Fellow of Falmouth University in the UK (2014), and has an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (Ph.D.) from The Wagner Free Institute of Science in Philadelphia (2015).

Dion has received numerous awards, including the ninth annual Larry Aldrich Foundation Award (2001); The Joan Mitchell Foundation Award (2007); the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Lucida Art Award (2008); and a Guggenheim Fellowship (2019). He has had major exhibitions at the Miami Art Museum (2006); Museum of Modern Art, New York (2004); Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, Connecticut (2003); Tate Gallery, London (1999); and the British Museum of Natural History in London (2007). “Neukom Vivarium” (2006), a permanent outdoor installation and learning lab for the Olympic Sculpture Park, was commissioned by the Seattle Art Museum. Dion produced a major permanent commission, OCEANOMANIA: Souvenirs of Mysterious Seas for the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco. In 2016 Dion and his curatorial collaborator Sarina Basta produced the large-scale exhibition, ExtraNaturel: Voyage initiatique dans la collection des Beaux-Arts de Paris, at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Mark Dion is co-director of Mildred’s Lane, an innovative visual art education and residency program in Beach Lake, Pennsylvania. Dion lives with his wife and frequent collaborator, Dana Sherwood, in Copake, NY and works worldwide.

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Storm King Art Center is a 500-acre outdoor museum located in New York’s Hudson Valley, where visitors experience large-scale sculpture and site-specific commissions under open sky. Since 1960, Storm King has been dedicated to stewarding the hills, meadows, and forests of its site and surrounding landscape. Building on the visionary thinking of its founders, Storm King supports artists and some of their most ambitious works. Changing exhibitions, programming, and seasons offer discoveries with every visit.

For Storm King Art Center visiting hours click here.

Venue: Storm King Art Center, 1 Museum Rd, New Windsor, NY 12553

Exploring other Hudson Valley treasures? Stop by Dia: Beacon, Vanderbilt Mansion or Staatsburgh State Historic Site on the other side of the river from Storm King Art Center.