SculptureCenter is pleased to present Illusion, a solo exhibition by Jeppe Hein. Illusion will be on view September 9-November 25, 2007 with an opening reception on Sunday, September 9, 4-6 pm. Hein will present a major new work, 360º Illusion, created specifically for SculptureCenter’s dramatic central space and four works from the series, Modified Social Benches. Hein’s work focused on problematizing the traditional relationships between sculpture, viewer, and environment. Illusion is produced through SculptureCenter’s acclaimed Artist-in-Residence program.

360º Illusion is comprised of two mirrors, each approximately six by fourteen feet, connected at a 90º angle and hung from the ceiling. Initially, the installation mirrors its surroundings and dissolves into the space. However, the double reflection, produced by the two connected mirrors, creates a reflection within the reflection and as the mirrors slowly rotate, the two reflections appear to rotate at different speeds. 360º Illusion directly subverts and displaces the physical and psychological experience of the viewer, simultaneously addressing the limitations as well as the possibilities inherent in the act of looking.

Accompanying this major new commission will be a selection of four sculptures from Modified Social Benches installed in SculptureCenter’s courtyard with an additional piece placed in Court Square Park. While 360º Illusion is an excellent example of Hein’s exploration of the phenomenon of perception, the benches stem from his consideration of social space and the way in which the physical environment shapes one’s behavior. These sculptures, Hein’s most recent exploration of the form and context of the park bench, present impossible seating structures. One is a circular bench, another has a seat that appears to have melted and dropped to ground level, another has legs that arch so that the seat is actually upside down and the back of the bench is touching the ground. While playful, these works invite us to consider an altered perspective on landscape and public space. Modified Social Benches I in Court Square Park is presented in cooperation with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation in conjunction with Art in the Parks: Celebrating 40 Years: 1967-2007.