Ground/work 2025

A showcase of sculptural works by contemporary artists from around the world
 
In 2020, the Clark Art Institute opened Ground/Work, an exhibition of monumental sculptures by six women artists that were situated poetically in the bucolic Massachusetts landscape around the museum. Ground/Work 2025 reprises the premise, this time featuring commissioned works with a focus on global conceptions of craft: the means by which artists transform the world around them. Each of the six participating artists—Laura Ellen Bacon (b. 1976), Aboubakar Fofana (b. 1967), Hugh Hayden (b. 1983), Milena Naef (b. 1990), Javier Senosiain (b. 1948), and Yō Akiyama (b. 1953)—exemplifies the way that artisanal traditions can be reinvented, generating contemporary form and meaning. Their works employ a range of materials, including clay, willow, mosaic, stone, wood, and indigo dyeing.
 
This handsome volume documents the exhibition, providing an in-depth look into the stories of the artworks’ creation. Four of the book’s essays are reflective texts on the Clark’s campus at different times of day: morning, afternoon, evening, and night, enlivened with beautiful photography of each object in the exhibition at these same times of day. Additionally, the book explores larger conversations around craft and making.
 
Distributed for the Clark Art Institute
 
Exhibition Schedule:
 
Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, MA
(June 28, 2025–October 12, 2026)

Glenn Adamson is a curator, writer, historian, and the director of Design Doha.