Lot No. 11
James Turrell

Wide Curved Glass (title TBD)
Custom-built to suit winner’s space; aperture no smaller than 20” tall × 40” wide, no larger than 60” tall × 120” wide

This newly commissioned work will be custom-formatted to fit the buyer’s space (the work to be sized by Turrell according to the specific architectural setting and available viewing distances, but the aperture shall be no smaller than 20″ tall × 40″ wide and no larger than 60″ tall × 120″ wide). The work will be similar in scale and effect to the wide curved glass that Turrell designed for MASS MoCA, titled Dissolve, which has riveted public attention since its unveiling in May 2017. A mesmerizing sequence of colors and shapes floating cloud-like on a curved, scrim-like surface, slowly, almost imperceptibly merge and fold into one another. The installation requires approximately 4′ of “closet space” for lighting equipment, to be behind a new curved wall to be purpose-built to house the work’s aperture.

Please note that all proceeds from this lot shall go towards the construction of a free-standing Skyspace at MASS MoCA, to be designed within an existing 50′ diameter concrete water tower, converted by Turrell into a naked eye observatory. The addition of the Skyspace to MASS MoCA’s nine existing light and space works, and nine holograms, will complete the MASS MoCA exhibition, making it into the only comprehensive retrospective of the artist’s oeuvre on long-term public view. The exhibition will be chronologically inclusive, featuring at least one work from each of the six decades of his practice, and categorically encompassing, including at least one example from each of the major types of Turrell’s light and space environments (Skyspace, Wedgework, Ganzfeld, Aperture, Projection, etc.).

Acquisition of the wide curved glass work includes the artist fee (donated by Turrell to benefit MASS MoCA) and ownership title to the art, but does not include the cost of the aperture wall installation, lighting equipment, the cost of travel for the artist and his studio assistant, nor any related architectural or engineering design fees that might be required, The installation, equipment, and architectural/engineering costs can vary widely by location and architectural space, ranging from $100,000 to multiples of that, depending on the ultimate scale of the work, the surrounding architectural conditions, the chosen wall materials, location, etc. Please note that the work requires occasional replacement and/or “tuning” of LED lighting fixtures, equipment, and programming.

Courtesy of the artist
Important note: installation costs and artist and studio assistant travel costs not included
Estimated value: $600,000-1,000,000

The November 7 live auction will be conducted by Eric Widing, Deputy Chairman, Christie’s Americas. All net proceeds from the auction support MASS MoCA. To place an absentee bid, fill out this form, and email it to Emily Daunis at edaunis@massmoca.org by 4pm on November 7.