Francis Alÿs
Untitled (Study for Don‘t Cross the Bridge before You Get to the River)

Untitled (Study for Don‘t Cross the Bridge before You Get to the River)

© Francis Alÿs

Untitled (Study for Don‘t Cross the Bridge before You Get to the River)
Untitled (Study for Don‘t Cross the Bridge before You Get to the River)
ArtistBelgian, born 1959
CultureBelgian
Titles
  • Untitled (Study for Don‘t Cross the Bridge before You Get to the River)
Date2005–2009
MediumOil on tracing paper on post card, framed
DimensionsSheet: 5 × 7 3/8 in. (12.7 × 18.7 cm)
Frame: 6 3/8 × 8 13/16 in. (16.2 × 22.4 cm)
Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by the Caroline Wiess Law Accessions Endowment Fund
Object number2016.176.8
Non exposé

Explore Further

Description

Francis Alÿs devoted four years to Don‘t Cross the Bridge before You Get to the River, a project that
took place both in the sphere of world politics and in gallery environments as
a multi-media installation that encompassed painting, drawing, sculpture, and
video. Initially conceived as a means of connecting Cuba with Key West
in the United States,
Don‘t Cross the
Bridge before You Get to the River
had a second life in the Strait of
Gibraltar as Alÿs attempted to build alliances that would represent the common
humanity of Europe and Africa.



Alÿs stated: “I wanted to construct an authentic image of
the place, a symbolic bridge between the two continents, but always ended up
involved in someone else’s fight. It was absurd.”
Ultimately faced with the
impossibility of realizing the work with actual boats, Alÿs invited children to
form a line at each end of the strait with toy boats, bringing the project back
to the open-hearted spirit of collaboration that first motivated Alÿs.




ProvenanceThe artist; [Galerie Peter Kilchmann, Zürich]; purchased by MFAH, 2016.
Exhibition History"Marrakesh Biennial: A Proposal for Articulating Works and Places," Palazzo Riso, Museo d’Arte Contemporanea della Sicilia, Sant’ Anna, Italy, November 20, 2009–January 20, 2010.

"Francis Alÿs: A Story of Deception," Tate Modern, London, June 15–September 5, 2010; WIELS Contemporary Art Center, Brussels; Museum of Modern Art, New York.

"Sharjah Biennial," Sharjah Art Foundation, United Arab Emirates, March 13–May 13, 2013.

"Francis Alÿs: Gibraltar Focus," Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, June 29–September 8, 2013.

"Francis Alÿs: Relato de una negociación/A Story of Negotiation," Museo Tamayo Arte Contemporáneo, Mexico City, March 26–August 16, 2015; MALBA, Buenos Aires; Museo Nacional de Bella Artes, Havana; Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto.

"Atopolis, Mons," Manège de Sury, Belgium, June 13–October 8, 2015.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
Verso of frame: Stamp in ink, right top edge: Galerie Peter Kilchmann

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

If you have questions about this work of art or the MFAH Online Collection please contact us.

provided by lender
Francis Alÿs
2005–2009
Oil on post card, framed
2016.176.7
provided by lender
Francis Alÿs
2005–2009
Oil on color photograph, framed
2016.176.6
provided by lender
Francis Alÿs
2005–2009
Oil on color photograph, framed
2016.176.5
provided by lender
Francis Alÿs
2005–2006
Oil paint and pencil on tracing paper
2016.176.2
provided by lender
Francis Alÿs
2007
Oil paint, masking tape, and pencil on tracing paper
2016.176.3
provided by lender
Francis Alÿs
2005–2009
Oil paint and pencil on tracing paper
2016.176.4
Don‘t Cross the Bridge before You Get to the River
Francis Alÿs
2005–2009
31 Shoe Boats: sandals, cloth, string, wood, plastic, hammers, and mirror
2016.176.9.1-.31
provided by lender
Francis Alÿs
2008–2009
Two channel video projection
2016.176.11.A,.B
Untitled (Study for Bridge-Puente)
Francis Alÿs
2005–2006
Oil and encaustic on canvas
2016.176.1
From installation manual
Francis Alÿs
2006
Single channel video
2016.176.12.1
From installation manual
Francis Alÿs
2007
Single channel video
2016.176.13
provided by lender
Francis Alÿs
2008
Two channel video
2016.176.10.A,.B