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For Reasons of State

May 16, 2008 - June 7, 2008

Reception: May 16, 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Bik van der Pol, the Bureau of Inverse Technology, Jenny Holzer, Lin + Lam, Mark Lombardi, Julia Meltzer and David Thorne, Trevor Paglen, Ben Rubin, Susan Schuppli

The Kitchen

512 W 19th St
Presented by Whitney Museum of American Art Independent Study Program

For Reasons of State features artistic strategies that counteract governmental and corporate secrecy. In 1589, the Italian political theorist Giovanni Botero defined “reason of state” to be the “knowledge” in which a state “may be founded, preserved, and extended.” His concept insisted that the nation should, first and foremost, preserve its sovereignty, even if the ethical and legal concerns of its citizenry were compromised as a result.

In the current U.S. political context, notions of national interest and preservation have become subject to widespread debate. Phones are wiretapped for reasons of state. Telecommunications companies may now illegally share their customers’ information for reasons of state. The CIA is accused of purging documentation of questionable interrogation techniques for reasons of state. Critics argue that the Bush administration repeatedly invokes “reasons of state” to camouflage illegitimate actions and policies, thereby circumventing the appropriate constitutional checks and balance. While governmental regulations about the open transmission of information may sometimes be justified, the larger questions concerning public access to information—who gets to hear and see what, when, and how—are often neglected.

The artworks in the show acknowledge the value of concealed information and its crucial function in constructing alternative histories. Artworks by Bik van der Pol, the Bureau of Inverse Technology, Jenny Holzer, Lin + Lam, Mark Lombardi, Julia Meltzer and David Thorne, Trevor Paglen, Ben Rubin, and Susan Schuppli challenge the security claims and property rights that limit public access. Foreshadowing the upcoming presidential election, this exhibition addresses the ability of citizens to function as a democracy in the face of governmental secrecy. Their artworks prompt viewers to consider exchanging the frequently deployed phrase “need-to-know” with the more democratic “right-to-know.”

This exhibition is curated by Angelique Campens, Erica Cooke, and Steven Lam, the 2007-08 Helena Rubinstein Curatorial Fellow of the Whitney Museum of American Art Independent study Program.

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS Bik van der Pol Jenny Holzer The Bureau of Inverse Technology (Agents Natalie Jeremijenko and Kate Rich) Mark Lombardi Lin + Lam Julia Meltzer and David Thorne Trevor Paglen Ben Rubin Susan Schuppli

SPECIAL EVENTS

PANEL DISCUSSION See Something, Say Something: Strategies of Counter-Surveillance with Karen Beckman, Peter Galison, Thomas Y. Levin, and Lin + Lam moderated by Yates McKee Saturday, May 31 5 pm Free At The Kitchen 512 West 19th Street New York, NY 10011

GALLERY TALK with the curators Saturday, May 24 2 pm, Free Saturday, June 7 2 pm, Free

Books and DVDs related to artists in this show

Location   Gallery The Kitchen Address 512 W 19th St, 2nd Fl New York (Chelsea) NY, 10011 United States Phone 212-255-5793 Hours Tue-Sat 12-6

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