Welcome to the 58th Carnegie International! On behalf of the entire team at Carnegie Museum of Art, we are elated to open our doors to you and share this exhibition that has been in the making for over two and a half years. We hope you enjoy it as much as we’ve enjoyed bringing it to life.
Since 1896, the Carnegie International has been Carnegie Museum of Art’s most significant exhibition as well as its leading contribution to the field. With each iteration, the museum creates new contexts for understanding the art of our time, connecting ever-changing publics with artists who give personal expression to the urgencies of our moment. What began as a juried show in its early years is now an ambitious curatorial initiative with aspirations beyond the museum’s walls. The International’s previous 57 iterations have left an indelible mark not only on the museum and the communities it serves but more broadly on the history of exhibition making. With each International, the museum writes another chapter in that history, transforming our understanding of how cultural institutions create space for meaning and experience.
And now, with the 58th Carnegie International, under the curatorial direction of Kathe and Jim Patrinos Curator Sohrab Mohebbi, the museum turns its attention farther afield than ever before. Working through the uncertainties of a global pandemic and shifting geopolitical realities, Sohrab and his team—including associate curator Ryan Inouye and curatorial assistant Talia Heiman—forged meaningful relationships around the world to curate the museum’s most ambitious, diverse, and globally representative International yet. I extend my deepest thanks to Sohrab, whose curatorial imagination has touched every part of this International. His attention to each artist, lender, adviser, contributor, and colleague—to whom I also express my heartfelt gratitude—reflects his tireless commitment to the creative potential of exhibition making.
Furthermore, an initiative of this magnitude requires the best museum team in the field, and I am so grateful to the staff of Carnegie Museum of Art and Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh for their dedication, creativity, and resilience. The museum’s senior leadership team has navigated the complexities of the project deftly and contributed their wisdom and expertise every step of the way. Additional support for the International’s myriad logistical matters has been provided by many colleagues on the institute’s leadership team and central departments to whom we are indebted. The Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh Board of Trustees and Carnegie Museum of Art Advisory Board have been enthusiastic advocates for the creative work involved in this iteration of the International and have leveraged various resources and marshaled considerable support for the initiative.
This ambitious undertaking would not have been possible without the generous contributions of many individuals, foundations, partners, corporate sponsors, and government agencies. Building on their many years of engagement with and support of Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, major presenters Kathe and Jim Patrinos recognized immediately the value of a named curatorship to amplify the impact of the International. Bank of America endorsed the project from the outset as a presenting sponsor, enhancing our shared commitment to community engagement and the transformative power of the arts. Additionally, dedicated groups including our Carnegie Luminaries, Keystone Members, Friends, and Fans have offered generous support for the International, the museum’s broader program of contemporary art, and much-valued support for the museum’s many ambitions.
Over the years, visionary philanthropists have created endowed funds to support the museum in its commitment to presenting the International, offering tremendous generosity to create a sustainable foundation for exhibition development, inspiring many others to give. The extent of foundation support for the 58th Carnegie International is a testament to the exhibition’s global scope and cultural relevance. We are extremely grateful for the generosity of all the foundations, partners, sponsors, and galleries who are involved. This network of support has allowed the museum and the International to be more creative and resilient than ever before.
Finally, I wish to thank all the artists who have made such remarkable contributions to the 58th Carnegie International, sharing their works and knowledge with the museum and our audiences and allowing us to present a part of their world here in Pittsburgh.
All my best,
Eric Crosby
Henry J. Heinz II Director, Carnegie Museum of Art
Vice President, Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh