SHEBOYGAN, WIS.- The exhibition 'encounters of another plot' opened yesterday at John Michael Kohler Arts Center, where it will continue to be on view until October 29th, 2023.

As a storyteller, Patricia Piccinini gathers information from scientific research and current events to envision genetically and physically adapted organisms. These creatures, predominantly constructed with fiberglass, silicone, and hair, are geared for survival against human impact and rapidly changing environmental conditions. The creatures’ reconfigured bodies and new survival mechanisms hint at possibilities of new earth-dwelling species, modes of resilience, and evolutionary potentials in response to our changing Earth/home.

Inspired by local ecosystems, a life-size diorama constructed with recycled materials shelters Piccinini’s sculptures. The diorama is accompanied by a film following the journey of a human animal and a fictional Earth being walking through landscapes from Piccinini’s home of Australia.

Piccinini’s work illustrates scenes of mothering, fear, and alertness. Her depiction of recognizable physical and emotive mannerisms offers viewers the chance to connect with the sculptures, possibly inciting responses such as empathy, disgust, and fear. The sculptures’ mammalian bodies and expressions reduce the option for dissociation; any discomfort that may arise is that of making eye contact with an unfamiliar relative.

The John Michael Kohler Arts Center (JMKAC), located north of Milwaukee in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, is known for promoting the understanding and appreciation of the work of self-taught and contemporary artists through exhibitions and commissioned works of art.

Founded in 1967, JMKAC has preserved, studied, and exhibited artist-built environments, earning a worldwide reputation. Art environments involve an individual significantly transforming their surroundings into an exceptional, multifaceted work of art.

The Arts Center’s downtown Sheboygan facility includes eight galleries, two performance spaces, a café, a museum shop, and a drop-in art-making studio. Among its program offerings are community arts projects; artist residencies; presentations of dance, film, and music; a free weekly summer concert series; classes and workshops; an onsite arts-based preschool; and approximately twelve original exhibitions of the work of self-taught and contemporary artists annually. JMKAC also administers the renowned Arts/Industry residency program, which is hosted by Kohler Co.

In 2021, the John Michael Kohler Arts Center opened the Art Preserve, the world’s first museum to focus entirely on work from art environments. Located three miles from JMKAC, the 56,000-sq.-ft., three-level building holds more than 25,000 works in the Arts Center’s world-renowned collection, which includes complete and partial environments by more than thirty vernacular, self-taught, and academically trained artists.

Visitors experience unprecedented access and insight into the display, preservation, conservation, and interpretation of the Arts Center’s premier collection through tableaux as well as a unique system of curated, visible storage of the works of art.

Patricia Piccinini: encounters of another plot
June 17–October 29, 2023