MicroMonuments II: Underground

Ursula Achternkamp, Alan Binstock, Janet Brome, Marc Fromm, Judith Goodman, Caroline Hatfield, Linda Hesh, Simon Horn, Margit Jäschke, Michael Krenz, Esther Eunjin Lee, Jacqueline Maggi, Georg Mann, Joan Mayfield, Nina Viktoria Naussed, Sara Parent-Ramos, Alim Pasht-Han, Kristina Penhoet, Judith Pratt, Diane Szczepaniak, Marilyn and Gil Ugiansky, Steve Wanna, and Janet Wittenberg.

September 7 – October 28, 2018

MicroMonuments II: Underground brings together 23 artists from diverse cultural backgrounds to focus a contemporary lens on ideas and concepts that humanity has grappled with for centuries. Reflecting on the ring sanctuary of Pömmelte, often referred to as the German ‘Stonehenge,’ the exhibiting artists investigate deep time and explore the idea of what is hidden below ground, as well as what will be rediscovered, unearthed, and revealed.

This exhibition aims to reveal a deeper understanding of people’s lives throughout history and to allow contemporary artists to express their interpretations on topics of the cosmos, nature, current culture, and world heritage. Using the Nebra Sky Disc as a reference point—an artifact found near Pömmelte depicting a Bronze Age creator’s vision of the cosmos—the selected artworks are no larger than the Disc’s diameter of 12.6 inches. These archeological discoveries are evocative touchstones that invite contemplation of enduring questions about our history and place in the world. Can reflecting upon the past help broaden our understanding of ourselves and our relationship to one another? Can rethinking how we study and understand the past give us insight into navigating the future? These are some of the questions examined by 15 Washington, DC, artists along with 8 German artists, bringing global perspectives to shared human experiences.

The theme for this exhibition came from the vision of our coordinating curator, Artemis Herber, who, with the assistance of her German counterpart, Dr. Ines Janet Engelmann, invited the 8 German artists to take part in this trans-Atlantic project. A call for entries was organized by the Washington Sculptors Group for the selection of the Washington-area artists, with independent curator Laura Roulet serving as the juror.