The First Major Art Museum Exhibition to Explore Life, Career and Lasting Influence of this legendary magician will open at The Jewish Museum in New York City on October 29th. From the press release:
The Jewish Museum will present the first major art museum exhibition to examine Houdini’s life, legend, and enduring cultural influence from October 29, 2010 through March 27, 2011. Through 163 objects, exhibition visitors will be able to explore the career and legacy of the celebrated entertainer while considering his lasting impact on contemporary art and culture.
Included are 26 recent works of art in a variety of media by such artists as Matthew Barney, Jane Hammond, Vik Muniz, and Raymond Pettibon; historic photographs; dramatic Art Nouveau-era posters and broadsides; theater ephemera; and archival and silent films that illuminate Houdini’s role as a world-famous celebrity who commanded a mass audience in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Magic apparatus – rarely exhibited together – handcuffs, shackles, straitjacket, a milk can and a packing trunk will be showcased in the context of their original presentation. A recreation of the famous Water Torture Cell (much of the original was destroyed in a fire in 1995) will also be on view. Two of Houdini’s private diaries, never before shown in a public exhibition, will be displayed. Visitors will learn about his evolution from a fledging circus performer in the 1890s, to a stage magician at the turn-of-the 20th century, to a daring escape artist in the early 1900s. The exhibition will not reveal the “how-to” secrets of Houdini’s magic performances. Rather, it will describe his audacious innovation in endowing common items with the aura of magic.
For more details, visit the Jewish Museum Website