Thursday, September 17th, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm in the Harrison McCain Pavillion.
Join artist Andres Serrano and renowned art collector Bob Rennie for a compelling conversation on Piss Christ (immersions), Blood Cross (Bodily Fluids), and Piss Pope, Part I and II (Immersions). Together, they will explore the artwork's creation, its enduring cultural impact, and the role of collectors, museums, and audiences in shaping its legacy. This special event offers a unique opportunity to hear directly from the artist and collector about the intersections of art, controversy, and public dialogue.
Andres Serrano: Andres Serrano was born in New York (USA) in 1950. He graduated from the Brooklyn Museum Art School of New York in 1969 and is one of the most recognized contemporary artists on the international art scene. His photographs have been the subject of recent solo exhibitions at Musée Maillol, Paris (2024); Forum Groningen, Netherlands (2024); DOX Centre for Contemporary Art, Prague (2023); and Fotografiska, Tallinn (2023). Major institutional presentations include the Whitney Biennial, New York; the Barbican Art Gallery, London; the Helsinki Art Museum; and Museo Reina Sofía, Madrid. His work belongs to over seventy public collections worldwide, among them the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York; the Vatican Contemporary Art Collection, Vatican City; the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; the Art Institute of Chicago; and the Vancouver Art Gallery. He is a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (France, 2017) and a National Academician (U.S., 2015). Andres Serrano lives and works in New York.
Bob Rennie: The Rennie Collection is recognized for the calibre of its diverse holdings of contemporary art. Founded by Bob Rennie, the collection's ethos is to acquire, preserve, and exhibit artworks by both established and emerging artists from around the world, and to collaborate with art institutions globally. One of Bob Rennie’s core principles is that “nothing comes into the collection that doesn't speak to the collection.” Supporting artists working in diverse media that explore and challenge societal, political, and cultural issues of our time, Rennie Collection provides a platform for artists to express their perspectives and ideas. In Bob Rennie’s own words: “…all art must be looked at in the light it was painted in.” The Collection is shared with audiences globally through a robust lending program to numerous institutions and through collaborations with various arts organizations.
This event is free and open to the public.
Image: Andres Serrano
Piss Christ (Immersions)
1987/printed 2007 (vandalised 2011)
cibachrome print face-mounted to Plexiglas, in artist's frame
framed: 65 7/8 x 45 1/8 in.
© Andres Serrano. Courtesy of the artist and Rennie Collection, Vancouver
