Storm King Art Center Announces Acquisition of Alicja Kwade's "LinienLand"

Storm King Art Center is pleased to share details about its newest acquisition, Alicja Kwade’s LinienLand (2018), which opened on August 3. To inaugurate the acquisition, artist Alicja Kwade joined Storm King’s Artistic Director and Chief Curator Nora Lawrence in conversation against the backdrop of LinienLand.

On view in the US and in an outdoor setting for the first time, LinienLand acts as a frame through which to view the surrounding sky and landscape, suggesting parallel worlds and encouraging reflection on the constructs that shape our understanding of existence. It will be a permanent fixture on Storm King’s 500 acres and is the first permanent acquisition for Nora Lawrence under her title of Artistic Director and Chief Curator at Storm King Art Center.

Despite its open, gridded structure and solid stone spheres suspended in apparent defiance of gravity, Alicja Kwade’s LinienLand weighs over twenty-five tons. Kwade’s distinctive artistic language often blends human-made elements and natural materials in an effort to explore the essence of our reality and examine social structures.

Kwade conceived of LinienLand while installing Pars pro Toto at the 2017 Venice Biennale. Observing massive cranes lift heavy stones into place, she envisioned a piece where spheres would appear to float weightlessly. The grid structure in LinienLand symbolizes human logic and systems, while the natural stone spheres, sourced from various continents, evoke the passage of time. This juxtaposition raises questions about what constitutes reality and who defines it.

Installed outdoors for the first time, LinienLand acts as a frame through which to view the surrounding sky and landscape, suggesting parallel worlds and encouraging reflection on the constructs that shape our understanding of existence.

(opens in a new window) Learn more at stormking.org.