Agnes Denes
Wheatfield—An Inspiration.
The seed is in the ground
opens June 2024
From June 15 through October 19, 2024 Tinworks is pleased to present a significant new work by artist Agnes Denes. Wheatfield—An Inspiration. The seed is in the ground can be found at Tinworks’ field, 719 N Ida and Cottonwood Ave in Bozeman’s northeast neighborhood.
A groundbreaking, internationally recognized figure, and one lauded as one of the first ecological artists, Denes engages science, philosophy, math, linguistics, technology, engineering, urban planning, music, and poetry in visionary artworks that explore environmental issues and humanity’s impact on the planet. One of her most celebrated works, Wheatfield—A Confrontation, was planted in New York City in 1982. In the forty years since that installation, this is the first time Denes has accepted an invitation to reposition the work in another American context.
Reimagining Wheatfield in Bozeman is particularly compelling because of the significant role of wheat in the history and economy of Montana, the increasing loss of farmland in the Gallatin Valley, and the opportunity to devote the field at Tinworks to public art installations. The scope of Wheatfield—An Inspiration demonstrates Tinwork’s commitment to ambitious projects that provide the space and support for artists and the public to directly engage in contemporary issues and the complex challenges of our time. As Denes explains, “The Wheatfield is hope. There is renewal in the seed. We are planting hope.”
A crop of Bobcat winter wheat was planted in the Tinworks field on the corner of N Ida and Cottonwood in October as the first component of Denes’ project.
How you can be a part of THE ART
Denes invites the Bozeman community to participate in the artwork this spring by planting wheat in any fallow piece of land available to them, creating a city-wide wheatfield in solidarity with Wheatfield—An Inspiration. Packets of spring wheat seeds will be available onsite at Tinworks in May. In the fall, Tinworks will harvest and process the wheat into flour using small mills available for community use on site. Acclaimed Bozeman bakery Wild Crumb will partner with Tinworks to bake the flour into bread for distribution throughout the community.
The project further expands through the circulation of Questionnaire, a work in which Denes poses questions about the most pressing issues facing humanity, like artificial intelligence and global warming, inviting answers and solutions from the community to be submitted online. All of the answers to Questionnaire will be saved to the cloud and be accessible online as a perpetual artwork to communicate with the future.
We invite you to participate in this multifaceted installation by filling out Questionnaire.
Special thanks to Kenny Van Dyke, Hyline Farms; Mac Burgess, Associate Professor, Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology, MSU; Kirsten Ostberg, Assistant Professor of Landscape Design, Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology, MSU; Leslie Tonkonow; Chris Leonard, Bridger Ops; and Wild Crumb for their partnership with Wheatfield—An Inspiration. The seed is in the ground
On view at Tinworks Art
Our indoor exhibitions will open again in June 2024.
Two outdoor works by Layli Long Soldier are currently on view.
Day Poem: Sun Mirrors is located in the center of the Tinworks campus on the concrete pad at 719 N Ida.
I don’t trust nobody but the land is located at the southern edge of the site on the façade of the Mill Building along E Cottonwood (visible from Treeline Coffee).
I Love You by Lee Materazzi (2020) is on view on the northern side of the site, where E Aspen turns into the walking path. This photographic series is best viewed along the pathway on foot.
We welcome the public to visit all of these works at any time.
Your support matters!
Your contribution helps make Tinworks’ 2024 exhibition season possible.
A gift today will foster connections with artists and enrich our community through art.
Thank you!
THANK YOU FOR A WONDERFUL 2023 SEASON
Photos by Blair Speed for Tinworks Art 2023.
Wheatfield - A Confrontation: Battery Park Landfill, Downtown Manhattan - With Agnes Denes Standing in the Field, 1982
Photo: John McGrail, courtesy Agnes Denes and Leslie Tonkonow Artworks + Projects
Tinworks Art is an artist- and community-centered nonprofit organization. Tinworks enriches the cultural and social fabric of Bozeman by supporting inclusive, immersive contemporary art experiences in nontraditional places.
COME VISIT US IN BOZEMAN’s NORTHEAST NEIGHBORHOOD AT 719 N IDA (between e cottonwood and e aspen streets).
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SPecial thanks to our 2023 season partners
