Sheila Pepe: Sheila Pepe: When and Where We Rest

Everyone rests in one way or another. But what does rest look and feel like—inside each of us and to the outside world around us? Must we steal moments to be able to rest, and when we do so, what parts of our bodies or minds are still active? Do we rest too much or too little? And who decides what’s enough or too much?

These questions are universal, but the answers are as individual as each of us. These questions and many more are at the heart of Sheila Pepe’s new immersive installation on the Tang Museum’s mezzanine. Drawing on Pepe’s ongoing interest in the material culture of religion, sociology, queer theory, ancient Greece and Rome, and the Silk Road, “Where and When We Rest” presents the objects that support our bodies during contemplation, ritual, and sleep. The installation is furnished for visitors to gather as individuals or groups, providing space for both rest and discourse. An exploration of the meanings and implications of rest in the past, present, and future, the project invites us to consider rest’s complexity, subjectivity, and multiplicity—and the rest is up to you.

“When and Where We Rest” is the sixth iteration of the Tang Museum’s mezzanine installation project, an invitation to an artist to design a community lounge space over a two-year period. The exhibition is organized by Rachel Seligman, Malloy Curator, in collaboration with the artist, and is supported by Friends of the Tang.