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      Exhibition

      Vanessa Platacis: Taking Place

      Ongoing

      Today's hours:

      10 am–5 pm

      Monday

      10 am–5 pm

      Tuesday

      Closed

      Wednesday

      Closed

      Thursday

      10 am–5 pm

      Friday

      10 am–5 pm

      Saturday

      10 am–5 pm

      Sunday

      10 am–5 pm

      Monday

      10 am–5 pm

      Tuesday

      Closed

      Wednesday

      Closed

      Thursday

      10 am–5 pm

      Friday

      10 am–5 pm

      Saturday

      10 am–5 pm

      Sunday

      10 am–5 pm

      Taking Place is a wall painting installation by Savannah, Georgia-based artist, Vanessa Platacis, that reimagines some of PEM’s most beloved objects.

      The artist researched the museum’s vast and varied holdings, diving deep to find unexpected connections across time, cultures, and materials. Platacis turned her findings into 210 canvas stencils—all drawn and cut by hand with X-Acto blades. After applying the stencils to the walls, she and her assistant used a variety of spray-paint and graffiti techniques, including drop shadows, high contrast, and layering, to apply color to the walls and give dimensionality and life to her forms. Organic forms and curvilinear lines emerged as unifying design motifs that speak to the natural world. As you move deeper into these galleries, floral forms give way to enchanting fauna and larger-than-life presentations of familiar and unexpected objects. Platacis’ labor-intensive contemporary approach to painting connects to the artistry and skill embedded within the historical objects in PEM’s collection, creating a fascinating interplay between artistic practice then and now. What discoveries await? Located in the H.A. Crosby Forbes Gallery.

      Share your impressions on social media using the hashtag #PEMpresenttense and #TakingPlaceProject.

      Artist Vanessa Platacis installing her work, Taking Place. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Bob Packert/PEM.

      Artist Vanessa Platacis installing her work, Taking Place. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Bob Packert/PEM.

      Vanessa Platacis stencils for her installation, Taking Place. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Bob Packert/PEM.

      Vanessa Platacis stencils for her installation, Taking Place. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Bob Packert/PEM.

      Detail from artist Vanessa Platacis installation, Taking Place. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Bob Packert/PEM.

      Detail from artist Vanessa Platacis installation, Taking Place. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Bob Packert/PEM.

      Artist Vanessa Platacis installing her work, Taking Place. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Bob Packert/PEM.

      Artist Vanessa Platacis installing her work, Taking Place. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Bob Packert/PEM.

      Artist Vanessa Platacis installing her work, Taking Place. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Bob Packert/PEM.

      Artist Vanessa Platacis installing her work, Taking Place. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Bob Packert/PEM.

      Vanessa Platacis stencils for her installation, Taking Place. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Bob Packert/PEM.

      Vanessa Platacis stencils for her installation, Taking Place. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Bob Packert/PEM.

      Detail from artist Vanessa Platacis installation, Taking Place. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Bob Packert/PEM.

      Detail from artist Vanessa Platacis installation, Taking Place. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Bob Packert/PEM.

      Detail from artist Vanessa Platacis installation, Taking Place. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Bob Packert/PEM.

      Detail from artist Vanessa Platacis installation, Taking Place. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Bob Packert/PEM.

      Detail from artist Vanessa Platacis installation, Taking Place. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Bob Packert/PEM.

      Detail from artist Vanessa Platacis installation, Taking Place. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Bob Packert/PEM.

      Artist Vanessa Platacis installing her work, Taking Place. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Bob Packert/PEM.

      Artist Vanessa Platacis installing her work, Taking Place. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Bob Packert/PEM.

      Walk into the gallery and you’ll discover oversized wedding dresses, chairs, deer, flowers on the wall — all at once looking like graffiti but also delicate and ethereal and finely rendered.
      — Vanessa Platacis
      Vanessa Platacis Artist interview video
      Play

      Artist Interview

      Learn more about Vanessa Platacis and her process for Taking Place.

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