Artist Ana Teresa Fernandez invites visitors to engage with Surface which explores issues of identity, sensuality and victimization through a series of installations. The word “surface” derives from Middle French, which literally means “above face.” Fernandez will look at the current political and social climate and struggles with judgment and racism. She will investigate how borders and quantifiers have been applied to people due to their skin color, ethnic background, or sexual preference. Visitors will be offered the chance to mix their skin tones by using the 5 primary color; blue, red, green, yellow and white. They will be given a round surface to paint on, which mimics the facade of the museum’s exterior walls. The interior walls will be covered by the skin tones of visitors.
Projects offered in the Kimball Education Gallery encourage guests to discover the difference between skin color and the content of one’s character through painting and sharing their hobbies, passions, and activities. Fernandez will attempt to deconstruct the way we approach skin type through an interactive project as well as an exploration of materials.