Always CMA at the Columbus Museum of Art

Opened July 1, 2020 and is on view now

Always CMA is a photo interactive artwork. The work is fabricated from engineering grade high-intensity reflective vinyl, and stretches along the glass overhang above the pathway to the entrance of the Columbus Museum of Art

 In 1919, just as the Spanish flu was ending, Louis Bouché painted Still Life with Flowers—a beautiful depiction of colorful, lively flowers. Bouché’s painting was gifted to the Museum by Ferdinand Howald in 1931, as part of a large collection of American and European Modernism that became the foundation of its collection. Nearly a century later, in the midst of a different global pandemic, this work stands as a re-envision of Bouché’s painting translated into a oversized pattern installation. The work is a radiant reminder that even the most challenging moments, too, shall pass.

Throughout the day, the piece creates a dynamic web of shadows that move and stretch like a sundial. However, visitors are strongly encouraged to visit the piece at night, when they can co-create the most luminescent version of the artwork. In the dark, the pattern must be “activated” by the viewer through the use of cell phone flash photography, or cell phone flashlight. Once the light source hits the work, it becomes incandescent, shining back at the viewer from her particular vantage point.

Each digital image of the work is distinct and is a part of the artwork. Viewers can share their unique versions of the work by using the hashtag #alwayscma. QR codes on the work’s signage will connect visitors to interactive elements and to additional background information about this project.

Curator Anna Lee, William and Sarah Ross Soter Associate Curator of Photography CMA, Research assisted by Elizabeth Hopkins Associate Registrar, Digital assistance by Christian Faur, Installation by Greg Jones, Exhibition Design & Production Manager CMA

Animation of flashing cellphone camera illustrating the reflective quality of the pattern.