Institute of Cultural Inquiry
Encyclopedia
The Institute of Cultural Inquiry (ICI) is a non-profit organization
located in Los Angeles
, California
. The ICI states that its mission is "to educate the public about the visual methods used in society to describe and discuss cultural phenomena." The ICI sponsors art projects, performances, exhibitions, symposia, and publications related to its major areas of interest, which include the AIDS pandemic, obsolete technologies, and marginal cultural figures.
/HIV
pandemic. For the AIDS Bottle Project, which began in the 1980s
, the ICI creates unique glass bottles memorializing Americans in the arts and art-related fields who have died from complications due to HIV/AIDS. Each bottle has an individual's name and year of death etched on the glass and a short biography printed under the lid; the interior may be left empty or serve as a receptacle for personal memorabilia. The bottles have been publicly displayed at or outside such venues as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
, the New Museum (New York), and the New York Public Library
. Afterwards, the bottles are given away free to members of the public.
The ICI's second long-running AIDS-related project is the AIDS Chronicles. For this project, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2003, the front pages of the New York Times are collected. Then these pages are painted over in dark red, leaving visible only information pertaining to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. On World AIDS Day
, the ICI displays the prior year's pages, creating a visual record of the ebb and flow of attention to the subject on the part of one of the most influential newspapers in the United States.
In addition to sponsoring such projects, the ICI houses some permanent exhibits as well as an archive and a library that are open to the public by appointment. Among the permanent exhibits are:
Each of these books was published in multiple editions, including a trade edition and at least one special or artist's edition.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
located in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The ICI states that its mission is "to educate the public about the visual methods used in society to describe and discuss cultural phenomena." The ICI sponsors art projects, performances, exhibitions, symposia, and publications related to its major areas of interest, which include the AIDS pandemic, obsolete technologies, and marginal cultural figures.
Overview
The Institute of Cultural Inquiry has two long-running projects that address the global AIDSAIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
/HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
pandemic. For the AIDS Bottle Project, which began in the 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
, the ICI creates unique glass bottles memorializing Americans in the arts and art-related fields who have died from complications due to HIV/AIDS. Each bottle has an individual's name and year of death etched on the glass and a short biography printed under the lid; the interior may be left empty or serve as a receptacle for personal memorabilia. The bottles have been publicly displayed at or outside such venues as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is an art museum in Los Angeles, California. It is located on Wilshire Boulevard along Museum Row in the Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles, adjacent to the George C. Page Museum and La Brea Tar Pits....
, the New Museum (New York), and the New York Public Library
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
. Afterwards, the bottles are given away free to members of the public.
The ICI's second long-running AIDS-related project is the AIDS Chronicles. For this project, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2003, the front pages of the New York Times are collected. Then these pages are painted over in dark red, leaving visible only information pertaining to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. On World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day, observed December 1 every year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. Government and health officials observe the day, often with speeches or forums on the AIDS topics. Since 1995, the President of the United States has made an...
, the ICI displays the prior year's pages, creating a visual record of the ebb and flow of attention to the subject on the part of one of the most influential newspapers in the United States.
In addition to sponsoring such projects, the ICI houses some permanent exhibits as well as an archive and a library that are open to the public by appointment. Among the permanent exhibits are:
- the Earth Cabinet: a collection of earth from locations around the world
- the Ephemera Kabinett: a collection of ephemeralEphemeralEphemeral things are transitory, existing only briefly. Typically the term is used to describe objects found in nature, although it can describe a wide range of things....
printed matter from around the world - bound volumes of the AIDS Chronicles, with bindings commissioned from visual and book artists.
Publications
Through its publishing arm, ICI Press, the institute has published three books and a number of smaller publications. The books are all anthologies combining scholarly essays with artwork and other visual material:- Bataille's Eye & ICI Field Notes 4 (1995): an examination of philosopher Georges BatailleGeorges BatailleGeorges Bataille was a French writer. His multifaceted work is linked to the domains of literature, anthropology, philosophy, economy, sociology and history of art...
's Story of the Eye, focusing on the publication and translation history of Bataille's text. Edited by Deborah Cullen, this book is currently out of print. - Benjamin's Blind Spot: Walter Benjamin and the Premature Death of Aura (2001): an application of cultural critic Walter BenjaminWalter BenjaminWalter Bendix Schönflies Benjamin was a German-Jewish intellectual, who functioned variously as a literary critic, philosopher, sociologist, translator, radio broadcaster and essayist...
's ideas to contemporary life, with marginal material from a found manuscript known as The Manual of Lost Ideas. Edited by Lise Patt. - Searching for Sebald: Photography After W.G. Sebald (2007): a survey of German novelist W.G. Sebald's use of images, together with artist's projects that were inspired by Sebald. Edited by Lise Patt with Christel Dillbohner.
Each of these books was published in multiple editions, including a trade edition and at least one special or artist's edition.