CommissionMay 14, 2021
Artist Jorge Pardo presents ‘Folly’ a large-scale commission
Jorge Pardo is creating a large-scale work to be on display this fall at the University of Houston. “Folly” is the third project in Public Art of the University of Houston System’s Temporary Public Art Program and the second site-specific commission developed for Wilhelmina’s Grove, a serene gathering space on campus anchoring the UH Arts District. Pardo’s installation will be on view from October 2021 through May 2022. The program is generously supported by The Brown Foundation, Inc.
Follies are decorative or ornamental buildings traditionally used in gardens. Typically, they have no practical purpose other than to provide aesthetic pleasure. But when placed in natural surroundings, such as a university campus, Pardo’s “Folly” – similar in size to a tiny house constructed of steel – will offer visual delight while inviting the community to question distinctions between fine art and design.
“I’ve always thought that making an object that can enter the public sphere would be much more productive than framing it within a gallery,” Pardo has said. “I no longer had to think about the exhibition space as the threshold and the frame, but rather as part of a larger circuitry of things.”
The exterior walls of “Folly” will be made of waterproof panels, and the interior will consist of hand-painted and laser-cut wood panels. Inside, the artist’s sculptural chandeliers will illuminate the architecturally scaled space.
For more information about Pardo’s upcoming project at UH, visit the Public Art UHS website.
Follies are decorative or ornamental buildings traditionally used in gardens. Typically, they have no practical purpose other than to provide aesthetic pleasure. But when placed in natural surroundings, such as a university campus, Pardo’s “Folly” – similar in size to a tiny house constructed of steel – will offer visual delight while inviting the community to question distinctions between fine art and design.
“I’ve always thought that making an object that can enter the public sphere would be much more productive than framing it within a gallery,” Pardo has said. “I no longer had to think about the exhibition space as the threshold and the frame, but rather as part of a larger circuitry of things.”
The exterior walls of “Folly” will be made of waterproof panels, and the interior will consist of hand-painted and laser-cut wood panels. Inside, the artist’s sculptural chandeliers will illuminate the architecturally scaled space.
For more information about Pardo’s upcoming project at UH, visit the Public Art UHS website.
Gallery
