Charlotte, N.C. – Jan. 8, 2009 - Internationally known designer Harmen Liemburg will serve as artist in residence at UNC Charlotte’s College of Arts + Architecture during an eight-day visit this month.

During his Jan. 19-26 visit, Liemburg will give a public lecture, open an exhibition of his work and direct and participate in a collaborative student workshop with both the School of Architecture and the Department of Art and Art History. Fifteen students, divided in teams of three, will work with Liemburg to create five suites of prints that address a different aspect of Charlotte’s history.

Based in Amsterdam, Liemburg studied graphic design at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie following his initial education as a social geographer specializing in cartography. Liemburg’s work has been described as positioned between graphic and environmental design, illustration, fine art, research and journalism. Using a site-specific approach, he produces prints, installations, and in some cases, building skins that serve as “portraits of place.” These layered, detailed works combine images and text in strategic color separations.

For a 2007 installation that explored the intersections of Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Dutch cultures, connected through trade and commerce since the 19th century, Liemburg spent six weeks in Nagasaki, Japan. His work is part of the permanent collections of museums in Amsterdam, Paris and Zurich.

“From Harmen’s perspective as an artist interested in cultural history and relevance of place and from our perspective as professors and students of art and architecture interested in an ‘authentic’ sense of place, the city of Charlotte provides us the opportunity to delve into its archives and photographs and record its current state and see what lies in between,” said Nora Wendl, visiting professor in the College of Arts + Architecture. “As a city of the New South, Charlotte seems to have lost its history, but this workshop will seek to make relevant and elaborate on the history that does exist here.”

Liemburg will deliver a public lecture about his work and open the exhibition “Ultralight” at Rowe Arts Building. The lecture is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 21, in Rowe Arts Building, Room 130. The opening reception for “Ultralight” follows the lecture at 7 p.m.

The exhibit includes selected examples from the last decade of Liemburg’s body of work. This archival display illustrates the final pieces as well as the processes by which they were created.

The lecture, reception and exhibition are free and open to the public.

For more information about Liemburg and his exhibition, contact Nora Wendl at 704.687.2667.

About UNC Charlotte
A public research university, UNC Charlotte is the fourth largest campus among the 17 institutions of the University of North Carolina system. It is the largest institution of higher education in the Charlotte region. The university offers 18 doctoral programs, 62 master’s degree programs and 90 programs leading to bachelor’s degrees. Fall 2008 enrollment exceeded 23,300 students, including almost 5,200 graduate students.

http://www.uncc.edu

Media contact: Buffie Stephens, 704.687.5830, dbsteph1@uncc.edu.