February 19 to June 13, 2010
“Experiencing Roni Horn’s art against the dramatic backdrop of the ICA—where light, weather and water are continuously in flux—crystallizes some of her key themes of change, perception and memory,” says Jill Medvedow, Director of the ICA. “Her work invites close observation and viewers are all the richer for the beauty and pleasure Horn’s art reveals.”
“In Horn’s work, nothing is quite as first appears,” says Hopkins. “A sculpture that appeared solid can look liquid when approached from a different angle, while a pair of gold mats can appear to glow when the sun lights up the space between them. For Roni Horn, the experience of looking at an object and perceiving these changes is as meaningful as the object itself.”
Many of Horn’s works are presented as pairs or series, which on close observation reveal subtle differences between their parts. You are the Weather (1994–5), for example, is an installation that creates a horizon-line of 94 close-up photographs of a woman immersed in hot springs in Iceland—a place whose unique landscape, geology and climate have been an inspiration for the artist since the 1970s. The viewer notices small, indeterminate changes in the woman’s expression. Is she happy? Is she sad? Or is it the effect of the hot temperature on her skin? We don’t know. The 'You' in Horn's title addresses the viewer, who might wonder if they are causing the shifts in the woman's expressions.
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