Exhibit Columbus removes controversial installation with statues of semi-nude architects

Biennial architecture festival Exhibit Columbus has removed A View of the World from Indiana, an installation designed by Sarah Aziz that featured statues of a dozen well-known architects, some depicted with minimal clothing.

The exhibition announced the removal of the installation on Wednesday, saying it did not meet Exhibit Columbus' "high standards."

"A View of the World from Indiana was removed due to Sarah Aziz's late and unapproved changes to the concept and its resulting on-site execution," Exhibit Columbus said in a statement.

"As installed, the work did not meet Exhibit Columbus's high standards. The decision to remove the work was made to uphold the integrity and caliber of the program and out of respect for the community partner hosting it," it added.

"Aziz controls all of the work's components, and we look forward to the possibility of it being exhibited again elsewhere."

In an email to Dezeen, architecture professor Aziz criticised the decision to remove the installation completely.

"I received an email informing me that I must remove it entirely in three days," she said.

"The cancelling of the project is no different than the overlooking of midwestern candidates in the selection of architectural fellows in the region. It's always easier to default to something (or someone) safe and familiar," she said.

Called A View of the World from Indiana, her installation included twelve "bathtub Madonnas"  – shrines typical of the Midwest where bathtubs are used to display the Virgin Mary – decorated with bits of glass to resemble Midwestern grottos, as well as a large boom crane supporting a banner that read Nothing To See Here.

Each of the shrines held caricature-like, wood-carved statues of an architect loosely associated with one of the Midwestern states, created by Indiana-based artist Steve Carner.

Chicago-based architect Jeanne Gang and late architect Michael Graves were depicted nearly nude with just thin strips of fabric covering their private parts. Other architects depicted included Julie Snow, Frank Lloyd Wright, Marlon Blackwell, and Peter Eisenman.

According to Aziz, the installation was meant to critique famous architects through the lens of an often-overlooked outsider art tradition, while still celebrating the talent that emerges from the Midwest American states.

Dezeen understands from emails shared by Aziz that the decision to remove the exhibition was in part due to tension with the Lutheran church that was holding the exhibition over the contentious imagery.

Aziz had originally planned for the statues to be shown in the nude, but made changes after she was requested to by the organisers.

"I tried hands and fig leaves with metal," she told Dezeen. "This obviously upset Steve Carner, who fundamentally couldn't understand why a church could not host naked sculptures."

"He pulled out of the show in late July, and the compromise was that I could use the sculptures if I only covered them in underwear and returned them after three weeks."

Aziz added that it had been a challenge to find a place for the work early on.

"I didn't have a site partner in February as no one wanted to host my project, so I was grateful that the Lutheran church took the traditional Christian role of caring for the unwanted," she said.

"The concept of the shrines was there from day one. Ultimately, the contextual oversight of putting Catholic shrines in the grounds of a Lutheran church is as much mine as it is the Church's and Exhibit's."

In a Monday email to Dezeen, Exhibit Columbus said it was "glad that Sarah's work was realized and visible in its final form for Opening Weekend."

Hundreds of people saw the work live at the opening festivities that marked the beginning of the installations' tenure.

Exhibit Columbus puts on and facilitates funding for multiple temporary installations throughout the Indiana city, known for its modernist architectural heritage, every two years.

Previous installations include an interactive staircase by architect Tatiana Bilbao. The city was also featured in our series on mid-century modernism.

The photography is by Ben Dreith. 

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