6 C olumbia U niversity RECORD October 5, 2001

Exhibition of Italian Avant-Garde Art on View at Columbia’s Wallach Gallery An exhibition of Italian 63—a peculiar combination of avant-garde art will be on photography, and col- view at Columbia’s Wallach lage in which a life-sized Art Gallery from Oct. 3 to image of the artist, traced from Dec. 8. The exhibition, “Arte a photograph onto thin, Povera: Selections from the translucent paper, is glued on Sonnabend Collection,” will an otherwise empty mirrored draw together major works by panel. , Pier Paolo The exhibition is drawn Calzolari, , from the rich holdings of the , , gallerist Illeana Sonnabend. , Sonnabend has long been rec- Mario Schifano and Gilbert ognized as one of the foremost Zorio, most of which have collectors and promoters of rarely been exhibited in the American art from the 1950s, United States '60s, and '70s. Lesser-known In the late 1960s, a number is her devotion to an entirely of artists working in pro- different artistic phenome- duced one of the most authen- non—the Italian neo-avant- tic and independent artistic garde—which is equally interventions in Europe. impressive. Striking in its Grouped together under the comprehensiveness, the col- term "" in 1967 by lection was assembled by the critic in ref- Sonnabend and her husband, erence to the use of materials— Michael. natural and elemental—the Claire Gilman, a Ph.D. can- artists delivered a powerful and didate in Columbia's depart- timely critique of late mod- ment of art history and arche- ernism, specifically minimalism. ology, curated the exhibition. The exhibition at the Wal- In conjunction with the show, lach Art Gallery seeks to the Wallach Art Gallery will explore the group’s unique publish a fully illustrated cata- contribution to postwar art, logue. while re-evaluating Celant’s A symposium and panel dis- early categorization of the cussion on the subject will artists’ works. It emphasizes take place on Saturday, Nov. 3, conceptual themes rather than from 1 to 5 p.m. Participants material similarities, present- include Emily Braun, Ben- ing a more inclusive approach. jamin Buchloh, Briony Fer, At the same time, it provides a Michelangelo Pistoletto, Mar- unique opportunity to intro- cia E. Vetrocq and Anthony duce U.S. audiences to key White, along with Gilman. Michelangelo Pistoletto: Amore (Love), 1966 works, some of which have The Miriam and Ira D. Wal- never been shown outside of lach Art Gallery is located in Europe. Schermerhorn Hall, 8th floor, The works span a diversity at Broadway and 116th Street. of media ranging from Ansel- Gallery hours are Wednesday mo's Direzione (Direction), through Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m. Lamont-Doherty Hosts Annual Open House Oct. 6 1967-69—a found granite slab (closed the week of Thanks- with a compass needle insert- giving); admission is free. For BY ABIGAIL BESHKIN ed—to Pistoletto's Uomo more information, please call seduto (Seated Man), 1962- (212) 854-2877. Columbia’s Lamont- Doherty Earth Observatory is home to the most cut- Columbia Celebrates Lazarsfeld’s 100th ting-edge research about Columbia emeritus professor Robert K. Merton spoke of the con- the Hudson River. This tributions made by Paul F. Lazarsfeld to the social sciences during a Saturday, the Lamont- celebration of the 100th anniversary of Lazarsfeld‚s birth, held Sept. Doherty Earth Observatory 29 at the Italian Academy. The event was organized by the Universi- will showcase its latest ty‚s Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy (ISERP), Hudson River findings at directed by Professor Peter S. Bearman. Lazarsfeld was professor of the annual Open House, sociology for 30 years and director of Columbia‚s Bureau of Applied where the theme will be Social Research, a forerunner of ISERP. Provost Jonathan Cole was “Explore the Hudson, a student of both Merton and Lazarsfeld. Explore the Earth.” Free and open to the public, the Open House will take place on Satur- day, October 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Lamont- Doherty, Route 9W, Pal- isades, New York, at the NY-NJ state line, (Exit 4, Palisades Parkway). The Open House will feature activities and lec- tures for both children and Peter Schlosser will be one of several scientists in atten- adults. Exhibits will dence at Lamont-Doherty’s annual Open House in Pal- include maps of the isades, New York. River’s depths, samples of glacial mud more than 6,000 years old, and sta- Columbia Earth Institute has taminants move through the tions at which children and been the primary research water; and Dorothy Peteet, an their families can simulate institution in New York State expert on the history of the their very own earth- for the study of the Hudson Hudson’s marshes, which pro- quakes. Lectures will River. Among the researchers tect the River’s young plants explore such topics as at the Open House will be and animals as well as its “Mysteries from the River Robin Bell, the first scientist shoreline. Bottom,” and “Trends in to map the Hudson since 1930; For more information, Contaminant Levels in the Peter Schlosser, whose gas please call (845) 365-8565 PHOTO BY JOYCE CULVER Hudson River.” tracer experiment has helped or go to http:// www.ldeo. Emeritus Professor Robert K. Merton, left, with Provost Jonathan In recent years, the us know more about how con- columbia.edu/OH2001/. Cole at the Sept. 29 event at the Italian Academy C olumbia U niversity RECORD Sept. 7th, 2001 7