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Justin Sterling: 'Chapel of the Rocks'

Every week from October 29, 2022 until February 12, 2023.
Sunday: 12 PM - 5 PM
Monday: 10 AM - 5 PM
Tuesday: 10 AM - 5 PM
Thursday: 10 AM - 5 PM
Friday: 10 AM - 5 PM
Saturday: 10 AM - 5 PM
San Diego Museum of Art
$0-$20
Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day

About the Event

From the museum:

Justin Sterling's installation at San Diego Museum of Art explores bad faith practices, whether in policing, economics, legislation or interpersonal connections. By throwing rocks through windows then reassembling them as stained glass, Sterling asks: is this healed?

A powerful new installation by Justin Sterling (b. 1992, Houston, Texas) will immerse visitors in a beautiful space constructed of unconventional materials and provoking contemplation of the role of bad faith in society.

"Chapel of the Rocks" is an approximately 1000-square-foot structure, suffused with light refracted through numerous stained-glass windows, which the artist has shattered with rocks and then rebuilt in new ways. The windows, as well as other features such as the fire hydrant “gargoyles” on the chapel’s exterior, were salvaged from the streets of New York City, where Sterling now makes his home, and evoke New York’s “broken windows” policing measures of the 1990s and other policies that he describes as exemplifying the concept of bad faith.

Another inspiration for this work is the Rothko Chapel in Sterling’s native Houston, a multicultural, interfaith spiritual space filled with large paintings by Mark Rothko. In keeping with that inclusive spirit, Chapel of the Rocks will share its gallery space with works from different spiritual traditions represented in the Museum’s permanent collection.

Funding for this exhibition is made possible by a bequest from Dr. Janet Brody Esser, the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture, and the members of The San Diego Museum of Art.

Related links:
San Diego Museum of Art on Instagram
San Diego Museum of Art on Facebook
San Diego Museum of Art visiting information

San Diego Museum of Art

San Diego Museum of Art

1450 El Prado
San Diego, California 92101
619-232-7931
info@sdmart.org

As San Diego County's first and largest art institution, the San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA) provides access to original art works of the highest caliber and is thus the community's primary resource for enjoying and learning about art. Whether in conjunction with the Museum's collections or a major travelling exhibition, special guided tours, classes, lectures, concerts and other related programs allow museum visitors to gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of the art on display.

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