Princeton University Art Museum presents Screen Time: Photography and Video Art in the Internet Age

Exhibition on view May 7–Aug. 7, 2022 at Art on Hulfish gallery

PRINCETON, N.J. — What does it mean to be an artist in a pixelated world? Screen Time: Photography and Video Art in the Internet Age seeks to answer this question with work by a group of global and intergenerational contemporary artists who explore the evolving role of video and photography in the era of digital communication and social media. Their work considers the role of artists in a society in which online culture is omnipresent and new platforms for self-expression are constantly developing. 

       The exhibition will be on view at Art on Hulfish, the Princeton University Art Museum’s photo-forward gallery in downtown Princeton, from May 7 through Aug. 7, 2022.

       Spanning three decades, the works on view in Screen Time are by turns wry, playful, nostalgic and critical in their considerations of how the internet has transformed the ways in which we present ourselves, connect with others and engage with the layered technologies that inform our wide-ranging digital experiences. The exhibition explores themes ranging from scientific and geographic systems, ecology and environmentalism and fashion to intellectual property and the influence of social media.

       “In bringing together a trenchant selection of contemporary lens-based works, Screen Time affords timely glimpses into the overwhelmingly diverse and abundant responses to the digital information age,” said James Steward, Nancy A. Nasher–David J. Haemisegger, Class of 1976, director.

       The exhibition includes Christian Marclay’s iconic montage highlighting the ubiquity of the telephone as a narrative device in classic film; Cyrus Kabiru’s Afrofuturistic eyewear incorporating found electronic waste; one of Marilyn Minter’s besmirched but glamorous photographs evoking online makeup tutorials and fashion advertising; Peter Funch’s Instagram-era digital composites, a modern take on the genre of street photography; and documentation of Otobong Nkanga’s performance work exploring the environmental legacy of colonialism.

       The opening celebration of the exhibition will be held on Saturday, May 7, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Art on Hulfish and hosted by Museum Director James Steward and Curatorial Associate Beth Golnick.

       Screen Time is curated by Richard Rinehart, director of the Samek Art Museum, Bucknell University, and Phillip Prodger, executive director, Curatorial Exhibitions. The works in this exhibition have been loaned from The EKARD Collection. The exhibition is toured by Curatorial Exhibitions, Pasadena, California.

       Art on Hulfish showcases a roster of exhibitions led by photography that consider issues of profound impact on 21st-century life. Located at 11 Hulfish Street in downtown Princeton, it encompasses some 5,500 square feet of space for exhibitions and for public programming, ranging from drop-in activities to scheduled work with artists. Admission is free. The gallery will present four exhibitions each year until late 2024, when the Museum’s new building designed by Sir David Adjaye is projected to open. 

       Art on Hulfish is made possible by the leadership support of Annette Merle-Smith and by Princeton University. Generous support is also provided by John Diekman, Class of 1965, and Susan Diekman; William S. Fisher, Class of 1979, and Sakurako Fisher; J. Bryan King, Class of 1993; Christopher E. Olofson, Class of 1992; Barbara and Gerald Essig; Jim and Valerie McKinney; Nancy A. Nasher, Class of 1976, and David J. Haemisegger, Class of 1976; H. Vincent Poor, Graduate Class of 1977; Tom Tuttle, Class of 1988, and Mila Tuttle; the Curtis W. McGraw Foundation; Palmer Square Management; and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional supporters include the Humanities Council, the Lewis Center for the Arts, the Department of English, the Center for Collaborative History, the Gender + Sexuality Resource Center, the Graduate School and the Native American and Indigenous Studies Initiative at Princeton (NAISIP).

About the Princeton University Art Museum

With a collecting history that extends back to 1755, the Princeton University Art Museum is one of the leading university art museums in the country, with collections that have grown to include more than 113,000 works of art ranging from ancient to contemporary art and spanning the globe. Committed to advancing Princeton’s teaching and research missions, the Art Museum also serves as a gateway to the University for visitors from around the world.

The main Museum building is currently closed for the construction of a bold and welcoming new building, designed in partnership with Sir David Adjaye and slated to open in late 2024. 

Art on Hulfish, located at 11 Hulfish Street in Palmer Square in downtown Princeton, is open daily. Admission is free.

Please visit the Museum’s website for digital access to the collections, a diverse portfolio of virtual programs and updates on opportunities to visit in person. 

The Museum Store in Palmer Square, located at 56 Nassau Street in downtown Princeton, is open daily, or shop online at princetonmuseumstore.org.

More information: artmuseum.princeton.edu

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Media Contacts:

Princeton University Art Museum
Gabrielle Langholtz
347-668-4323
gml@princeton.edu

Blue Water Communications
Stephanie Miller
800-975-3212
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