Local Charlotte artist Rick Lazes, in collaboration with the Mint Museum Uptown, will unveil his latest installation, titled Tune In, on Friday September 25, 2020, in front of the museum located at 500 S. Tryon St. as part of Tune In’s national tour of museums across the country.
The installation, a 12-foot tall diorama fashioned like a very large television, will sit in the plaza in front of the Mint Museum for the next two weeks and is designed to let people view the art in a responsible and socially distanced manner. Six vintage televisions inside the diorama showcase a multi-media collage that Lazes and local filmmaker Seth Koch created that examines television shows from the 1960’s.
Simultaneous with the re-opening of the Mint Museum, Tune In seeks to focus a spotlight on our most valuable cultural assets; our artists and museums which have been devastatingly impacted by the 2020 Pandemic. Lazes notes that “the underlying theme of the installation is to reflect on the past through iconic TV shows from the 60’s.” The video content includes clips from I Love Lucy, The Jeffersons, Sanford and Sons and Mr. Rogers combined with speeches from influential leaders from that era including John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King.
The installation is designed to be thought-provoking as well as entertaining and includes video clips from James Brown, The Supremes and John Lennon. Lazes seeks to start a conversation with viewers to reflect on the influence of electronic media on our society. During the 60’s it was primarily through broadcast television, which brought families together. Does the advent of smartphones, social media and the internet cause isolation and distance amongst families and friends?
The program begins at 6:00pm Friday, Sept. 25 and will include a jazz quintet from Jazz Arts Charlotte and a pay-bar on the second level of the museum. The installation will remain on view until Oct. 4 with a special performance on Saturday Sept. 26 at noon. Organizers encourage participants to socially distance during the event and bring a mask for when distancing is not possible.