Contemporary exhibit by internationally renowned artists Hubbard / Birchler to run for five years
AUSTIN, TEXAS – [January 22, 2024] – A new video art installation by internationally renowned artist duo Teresa Hubbard / Alexander Birchler will open on March 2, 2024 at Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park. Past Deposits is accompanied by a score created by New York-based composer Alex Weston, who collaborated with Hubbard / Birchler on their work, Flora, for the 57th Venice Biennale in 2017. Weston’s extensive biography composing music for concert works and film scores includes being shortlisted for “Best Original Score” at the 2020 Academy Awards.
The work, titled Past Deposits from a Future Yet to Come, features historic artifacts from Waller Creek, which Hubbard / Birchler spent more than a year filming. Past Deposits explores the ways in which these objects connect us to Austin’s past, present, and future, offering a glimpse into the daily lives of people who once lived and worked along the creek.
Hubbard and Birchler discovered the artifacts in deep storage at the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory at the University of Texas at Austin. The artifacts, which include buttons, plates, marbles, coins, and other everyday objects, range from the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries. Filmed in incredible detail and expanded to colossal proportions, the objects fill the entire 16 x 120 foot wall of Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park, where they can be seen by the public each night until park closure.
“It has been exciting to consider this place through its historical traces of presence and absence–giving equal weight to what has remained and what has been washed away over the course of thousands of years,” said Teresa Hubbard and Alexander Birchler.
Scheduled to be on view for five years, the installation will be free to the public and shown every night at Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park, with the exception of evenings when a ticketed concert or other special event is taking place. It will also be incorporated into aspects of Waterloo Greenway’s free community programs, which draw thousands of participants each year.
“The way Past Deposits brings these ordinary objects to life is truly inspiring. Teresa and Alexander’s work is an exceptional example of how we can honor the lives of those who called this area their home and continue sharing their stories,” said Jesús Aguirre, CEO of Waterloo Greenway. “Educating our community on the rich and important history of Waller Creek is central to our mission at Waterloo Greenway. We are thrilled to soon unveil this dynamic piece of art to the public, which will be free and open to everyone to experience.”
Past Deposits will debut to the public on March 2. To view the nightly schedule of Past Deposits, visit WaterlooGreenway.org.
Commissioned by Waterloo Greenway, lead support for Past Deposits from a Future Yet to Come isprovided by the Edward and Betty Marcus Foundation, Suzanne Deal Booth, and the Still Water Foundation. Major support is provided by Charles Attal, Deborah Dupré, Jeanne and Mickey Klein, Kathleen Irvin Loughlin and Chris Loughlin, Susan Marcus, Chris Mattsson,Lauren and Tom Moorman, Lora Reynolds and Colin Doyle, Gail and Rodney Susholtz, and The Susan Vaughan Foundation. Support is provided by Caroline and Brian Haley, Elizabeth and Rob Rogers, and the Wolff Family Foundation. Additional support is provided by Rosemary and Russell Douglass. Additional thanks to the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory and the Department of Art and Art History, College of Fine Arts at the University of Texas at Austin for research support for this project.
This commission demonstrates Waterloo Greenway’s dedication to connecting the community with the rich history of Waller Creek and the people that have lived alongside it. The piece builds upon previous public art projects with internationally recognized artists, including Forever Bicycles by Ai Weiwei and Wall Painting for Austin by Arturo Herrera, which is currently on display at the Waller Creek Flood Control Tunnel.
ABOUT WATERLOO GREENWAY:
Waterloo Greenway Conservancy is a non-profit organization whose mission is to create and maintain an extraordinary urban park system and a restored Waller Creek, in partnership with the City of Austin, for the benefit of all. The Conservancy renews the natural environment, promotes play, health and wellness, economic vitality and mobility, and engages the community through outreach, education, cultural events, and the arts.
ABOUT TERESA HUBBARD / ALEXANDER BIRCHLER:
Teresa Hubbard (b. 1965, Ireland) and Alexander Birchler (b. 1962, Switzerland) have worked collaboratively since 1990, and they are among the most important contemporary artists working with film and new media. Their work focuses on the ways in which histories, social life, and memories intersect. In their films, photography, and sculpture, Hubbard / Birchler create a hybrid form of storytelling that weaves together reconstruction, reenactment, and documentary.