MIA exhibit 'Embarrassment of Riches' opens Friday

By Shelby Meyers Wed., Sep. 15 2010 at 10:00 AM

Categories: Art

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Martin Parr, Cambridge, England, from "Luxury" series, 2005 (printed 2008), The Linda and Lawrence Perlman Photography Endowment 2009.42.2

Starting this Friday through January 2, 2011, museum-goers at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts will get a chance to witness how wealth--or lack there of--has been portrayed in photographs during the last decade. There's no time like the present recession to reflect and take a look at how the ups and downs of prosperity transform a society.

The new exhibit, titled "Embarrassment of Riches: Picturing Global Wealth, 2000-2010," goes much deeper than just documenting a few items of affluence. Instead, the collection of photography and video pieces illustrate the cultural ramifications of wealth. It is a curious exploration of our social and economic structures, while many publications and artists have focused on the influence of money through poverty, not riches.

"Embarrassment of Riches" includes more than 20 photos and a few video works from international artists that have captured visual manifestations of wealth through fashion, rituals, and government. The exhibit covers themes of currencies, new cities, and rituals of wealth and fashion in an engaging and thought-provoking way. Artists include Alex Prager, Alec Soth, Tina Barney, Luc Delahaye, Jacqueline Hassink, Sze Tsung Leong, Martin Parr, Robert Poladori, Cindy Sherman, Eve Sussman, and others.

Embarrassment of Riches: Picturing Global Wealth, 2000-2010 is open September 17, 2010, and runs through January 2, 2011 in the MIA's Harrison Photography Gallery.