The Delray Beach Downtown Development Authority (DDA) announced the opening of the Cornell Art Museum’s newest art exhibition: "Emotional Intelligence: Sculpting the Language of the Digital Age" by Matthew LaPenta. The exhibition, featured in the Cornell Art Museum’s Spotlight Gallery, will be on view April 5 to June 30, 2024 and is free and open to the public.
To celebrate its arrival, the museum is hosting an Opening Reception during First Friday Art Walk on Friday, April 5 from 6 to 9 p.m. The free event will feature a meet and greet with LaPenta, live music and refreshments.
“The Cornell Art Museum at Old School Square strives to present high-quality, diverse and inclusive art for all ages,” said Marusca Gatto, the DDA’s Cultural Arts Director. “In showcasing this exhibition, we are sparking an important conversation on society’s use of emojis to communicate more effectively. By using these internationally recognized symbols, our emotions, thoughts and intentions are more easily understood by our intended audience.”
For the last 10 years, LaPenta has reimagined emojis in the enduring medium of bronze, creating a captivating dialogue between technology and tradition. He invites viewers to contemplate the evolving ways we convey feelings in an increasingly interconnected world. His one to five foot sculptures celebrate the universality of emotions and also serve as a reflection of our changing cultural landscape, where digital symbols take on physical form, preserving their significance for generations to come. He has shown his work across the U.S., as well as in Canada, England, Italy, and Japan.
“While experimenting with digital symbols in other mediums, I realized there was this whole other language of emojis that had yet to be recorded in a meaningful way,” said LaPenta.” Seamlessly merging modern communication with timeless artistic craftsmanship, LaPenta’s bronze sculptures transcend the digital realm, offering a tangible representation of the emotions and expressions that have become integral to contemporary human interaction. “If you think back to ancient times and the use of hieroglyphics,” added LaPenta, “we have been using iconography as language for over 5,000 years, and there is a universal significance to that.”
The exhibition is ideal for guests of all ages. The Cornell Art Museum is free and open to the public. Hours are: Wednesday 12-5PM; Thursday & Friday 12-7PM; Saturday 10AM-5PM; and Sunday 12-5PM.
Connect with the artist on Instagram @matthewlapenta. For purchase, please contact Matthew at thelapenta@gmail.com.
For a full list of events happening at the Cornell Art Museum, visit https://delrayoldschoolsquare.com/cornell or call 561-654-2220.
