Aarde
Claudy Jongstra's site-specific mural for SFMOMA is aptly named Aarde, the Dutch word for "Earth." Drenthe Heath wool, silk, linen, and San Francisco Bay Area wildflowers form a delicate patchwork of raw colours and textures that celebrate Earth's biodiversity and ecological connectivity. Accents in golden tones are derived from Jongstra's plant-based dye process using yellow onion skins and reference the mineral-rich history of California soil.
Commissioned for the re-opening of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art after its 2016 expansion, Jongstra's large-scale tapestry artwork is an evocative contrast to the hard-edge materials of the museum’s building. Situated between white-walled galleries and the rooftop sculpture garden, Aarde creates a unique passage that marks SFMOMA’s architectural history through the designs of architects Mario Botta in 1995, Mark Jensen in 2008, and Snøhetta in 2016.
Exhibition Title: Aarde
Location: SFMOMA, San Francisco, California, US
Duration: 14 May - 4 December 2016
Photography: Matt Kursh
