Open-Hearted examines the history, meaning, and contemporary realities of health care and well-being. Moving beyond the individualistic framework of “self-care,” the exhibition reframes wellness as a collective project—one that necessitates an expansion of public health infrastructures across many levels of society. This framing emphasizes, as writer Corrine Fitzpatrick suggests, that “health is always in relation to power.” While the title evokes a sensibility of kindness (and by extension, the ideal capacities of health care to be preventative, diagnostic, and/or relieving), it also suggests an invasive medical procedure, thereby drawing a connection to the risk and vulnerability inherent in both.
Featuring works made between 1986 to 2025—a period framed by two significant epidemics, AIDS and COVID-19—the show features a variety of media, including design, weaving, sculpture, video, and installation, that explore our medical system’s forms, objects, spaces, and communication systems. Some works advocate for increased access to vital life-saving information and for an expansion of public health resources led by disability, chronic illness, and neurodiversity activism. Others investigate how physical space invites or inhibits access, demonstrating how architecture can engender both care and control. Finally, the show will also feature works that critically engage with the history of medical research, shedding light on the violence and harm perpetuated by the medical system and its infrastructure throughout time.
Artists featured in the exhibition include: MG Bernard, Gregg Bordowitz, Melissa Cody, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Ben Gould, Xandra Ibarra, Kapwani Kiwanga, Jade Guanaro Kuriki-Olivo, Carolyn Lazard, Kate Leonard, Ani Liu, Jordan Lord, Park McArthur, and Constantina Zavitsanos.
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Open-Hearted is curated by Katja Rivera in collaboration with the exhibiting artists. Support for the exhibition is generously provided by The Anschutz Foundation and Colorado Creative Industries.
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Top image: Melissa Cody, Dopamine Dream (detail), 2023. © Melissa Cody. Courtesy of the artist and Garth Greenan Gallery, New York.
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