For the 23nd "Safety Curtain" at the Wiener Staatsoper, the jury (Daniel Birnbaum, Hans Ulrich Obrist and newly also Bice Curiger) selected the internationally renowned US-American artist Carrie Mae Weems. Her work "Queen B (Mary J. Blige)" could be seen by the audience from 7 September 2020 until the end of June before the start of the performances, during the intermissions and at the end of the performances.
On the occasion of the project, a limited and signed edition by Carrie Mae Weems is available at museum in progress. By purchasing the edition, art and opera enthusiasts will be making an important contribution to the continuation of the "Safety Curtain" exhibition series.
In the display windows of PRIVAT BANK of the Raiffeisenlandesbank Oberösterreich in Vienna (Operngasse 2) museum in progress has been presenting a supplementary exhibition by Carrie Mae Weems since 4 September 2020. The exhibition consists of billboards from the artist’s large-scale public awareness campaign "Resist Covid – Take 6!", which is dedicated to the aim of sensitising the overproportionally affected demographic groups with simple protection methods from infection with the coronavirus.
On 3 September 2020 museum in progress presented the full-page newspaper art multiple "MJB – Toss-up" by Carrie Mae Weems in the weekly newspaper Die Furche. Like the "Safety Curtain" and the edition it features also another photographic staging from Mary J. Blige.
The exhibition series "Safety Curtain" is a project of museum in progress in cooperation with the Vienna State Opera and the Bundestheater-Holding. In 2020 the project was kindly made possible by the Christian Zeller Privatstiftung. Additional support: PRIVAT BANK of the Raiffeisenlandesbank Oberösterreich, ART for ART and Foto Leutner. Media partner: Die Furche. Management: Kaspar Mühlemann Hartl, Alois Herrmann. Courtesy: Jack Shainman Gallery in New York.