The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) at the University of Pennsylvania opens its new season with an exhibition by Mexican artist Damián Ortega.

Damián Ortega's first United States solo museum exhibition, Cosmic Thing, is an extended and humorous meditation on one of Mexico's most potent symbols of Westernization and mass production: the Volkswagen Beetle. For this installation, Ortega (b. 1967, lives and works in Mexico City) employs photography and a sculptural decomposition of his personal VW Bug, suspended from ICA's 30' bay ceiling. Ortega's work explores the political and cultural currency found in everyday objects and images especially as they relate to his native Mexico. These works continue Damián's participation in a history of satire stretching through DaDa, political cartooning, and conceptual art.

Damián Ortega has recently participated in group exhibitions at the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art in Helsinki, Finland; the P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center in New York; and at the Witte de With Museum of Contemporary Art in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Mr. Ortega had his first New York gallery exhibition earlier this year at D'Amelio Terras.

The Opening Reception, which is free and open to the public, is scheduled for Wednesday, September 4, 2002 from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. Exhibition Walkthroughs will take place on Wednesday September 4, 2002 beginning at 4:30pm. Damián Ortega; Reinaldo Laddaga, Assistant Professor of Romance Languages, U. of Penn; and José Roca, ICA Whitney-Lauder Curatorial Fellow will conduct a tour of this exhibition. The ICA is open to the public, except during installation, from 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Wednesday through Friday and from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Admission is $3 for adults; $2 for students over 12, artists, and senior citizens; and free to ICA members, children 12 and under, PENN card holders, and on Sundays from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. For more information, call 215-898-7108/5911, or visit www.icaphila.org

ICA acknowledges the generous sponsorship of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and The Consulate of Mexico in Philadelphia. Additional support has been provided by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, The Dietrich Foundation Inc., the Overseers Board for the Institute of Contemporary Art, friends and members of ICA, and the University of Pennsylvania. ICA is also grateful for the in-kind support of Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz (Information complete as of 7/10/02.

ICA reconoce el generoso patrocinio de la Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores de México y del Consulado de México en Filadelfia. ICA ha recibido apoyo adicional de parte del Concilio de las Artes del Estado de Pennsylvania, la Fundación Dietrich, Inc., la Junta Supervisora del Instituto de Arte Contemporáneo (ICA), los amigos y miembros de ICA, así como de la Universidad de Pennsylvania. ICA también agradece a Jill y a Sheldon Bonovitz por su cooperación y apoyo. (Esta información fue actualizada el 10 de julio de 2002).

Para ver una descripción en español de esta exhibición, por favor visite: www.icaphila.org