Andy Warhol Museum
Andy Warhol's Electric Chairs: Reflecting on Capital Punishment in America
Project Description
Andy Warhol's Electric Chairs: Reflecting on Capital Punishment in America was a project of the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh. Part of the museum's permanent collection, Warhol's print series of Electric Chairs was usedas a catalyst to generate dialogue around capital punishment. The exhibition encompassed 10 of Warhol's large-scale prints of electric chairs painted in diverse colors, and several smaller prints and paintings. The artist's prints were presented with contextual information and multiple viewpoints around the issue, through both written and audio media. Six months after the success of the Animating Democracy project Without Sanctuary, the museum was approached by Amnesty International to work with them in relation to their national conference in Pittsburgh in April 2003. When Amnesty approached the museum, it was apparent to the Warhol that Amnesty intended for the dialogue initiatives to support its advocacy efforts. As a civic institution and a forum for civic dialogue, the museum felt it was necessary to remain impartial, and to have both points of view represented within the exhibition. Initial discussions with the Warhol emphasized the desire to have dialogues about capital punishment, and in particular to collaborate on the development of an educational curriculum and a possible exhibition around the death penalty using Warhol's Electric Chair paintings and prints. To encourage this exchange, the museum invited the Pennsylvania District Attorney's Association (PDAA) to partner with the event and give public support of the exhibition. Both Amnesty and PDAA struggled with the idea that the opposing viewpoint would be represented within the exhibition, and that both would have to accept each other's terms of the dialogue. Although PDAA declined to participate, Amnesty continued to work with the Warhol to define the project.
Civic Engagement/Dialogue Activities
As part of the museum's open studio program, The Weekend Factory, visitors to the exhibit were invited to work with artists and educators to create handmade 'zines. These small booklets consisted of contextual information, questions, points of view, visual images, visitor responses, drawings, and included a photographic silk-screened cover image of an electric chair. Visitors also had the opportunity to write their own responses to the artwork and the issue after viewing the paintings. Additional programming for the exhibit included a youth event with performances and dialogues, a panel discussion, and school group visits.
While the exhibit offered opportunities for participants to engage in conversation around the issue, the advisory committee meetings offered the primary civic dialogue component. As the exhibition was in its planning phase, the museum convened an advisory committee by inviting approximately 40 people from the community to participate. Many committee members contributed to the audio and written points of view and panel texts in the exhibition; others served on subcommittees for programming and curriculum. After the project, the museum felt that identifying "keyworkers" (or individuals who were able to help connect the museum with the community) and developing exhibition components in collaboration with the advisory group were both important aspects related to the success of the project. However, the museum's emphasis on the ambiguity of the interpretation of the artwork and its impartial approach to the issue meant that advocacy groups and individuals, all potential "keyworkers," were perhaps not as able to become invested in the project, and as a result, exposure within their communities was perhaps lower as well. Structured small- and large-group dialogue forums did not play a large role in this project. With the exception of the advisory committee meetings, most of the dialogue occurred in multiple one-on-one conversations. The artwork became the "table" around which participants were able to have conversations. According to Jessica Gogan, one had the sense that people were using the opportunity to reach beyond their own internal dialogue.
Information Sources
The Warhol: Museum as Artist Toward Civic Engagement & Dialogic Art Museum, written by Jessica Arcand
