Nicolas Party: Draw the Curtain is the second exhibition of the artist’s work at the Hirshhorn Museum. Wrapping the four-story, 360-degree cylindrical structure of the museum, this public-facing project is Party’s largest artwork to date—spanning the building’s circumference of 829 feet. Based upon a pastel painting that was digitally collaged and printed onto industrial scrim, Draw the Curtain comprises several anonymous faces partially hidden by colorful draped curtains, gazing directly at the viewer no matter their vantage point. Known for his unique visual language that simultaneously celebrates and challenges conventions of representational painting, Party steeps this work in art-historical technique and symbolism—including the illusionary method of trompe l’oeil and the iconic style of classical portraiture in both painting and sculpture. This large-scale work invites passersby to peek behind the “curtain” on the National Mall and examine both the collections housed within the Smithsonian Institution and the contents of the distinctive government buildings dotting the surrounding landscape. Draw the Curtain reminds the viewer of the opacity of these spaces, while inviting them to consider what lies behind the façades of the buildings in the nation’s capital.

This exhibition was curated by Sandy Guttman, assistant curator at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Draw the Curtain is on view from September 18, 2022 – Summer 2022.