Peter Simensky Pyrite Radio (Chimes), 2021. Photography by Nicholas Lea Bruno, courtesy of the Peter Simensky Archive.
Peter Simenksy: Pyrite Radio
Dates
On view: May 7-16, 2026
Opening Reception: May 7, 5-7pm
About the exhibition
Pyrite Radio investigates sound, connectivity, and systems of value through both tangible materials and ephemeral forms. Peter Simensky’s sculptures reference the specialized history of homemade crystal radios by utilizing pyrite, or “Fool’s Gold,” as the conductive element. The reflective stone and inventive embellishments, such as an antenna fashioned from a child’s umbrella and a stand adorned with colorful plastic beads, engage viewers and prompt reflection on societal notions of value.
By emphasizing collaboration and amplifying the voices of those who have been marginalized, Pyrite Radio functions as both a sculptural object and an operational radio receiver that transmits information. The sculptures intercept and amplify local AM radio signals, projecting audio content layered with distortion. Throughout the exhibition, selected artists, musicians, DJs, writers, and radio stations—including both previous collaborators and new partners from near and far—will engage with the sculptures by broadcasting a variety of underground programs. Pyrite Radio challenges centralized modes of information dissemination and highlights the potential for collective engagement.
Peter Simensky’s Pyrite Radio, along with the concurrent ICA group exhibition A Sea of Particles, collectively represent the third installment of the ICA at MECA&D’s Getaway! exhibition series, exploring the power and pitfalls of escapism as a reaction to the question, “What do we do in response to our current crises?”. These group and solo exhibitions unpack various topics within the broader theme of escapism, examining both the complex impulses that drive us away from challenging circumstances and the destinations and activities we pursue when we do. Through diverse research and artistic practices, this series aims to provide a space for imagination, equipping our communities, both within and beyond MECA&D, with new tools to create the worlds they envision.
Pyrite Radio is organized by Director of Exhibitions Iris Williamson, with support from an evolving advisory committee and MECA&D student researchers Francesca Woolson ‘26, Carolyn Day ‘26, Violet Barr MFA ‘27, and Katie Devlin ‘27. Production management is handled by Exhibitions Manager Sarah Sawtelle '19 and Exhibitions Assistant Caroline Kouba '22. Design by Omnivore.
Further details will be announced in June about audio-based collaborations with regional, national, and international sound-based artists, radio stations, and organizations. All programs are free and open to the public; additional programming will be announced. For more information, visit meca.edu/ica.
About Peter Simensky
Peter Simensky (b. 1975, Maine; d. 2023, California) was a transdisciplinary artist who explored value and the volatility of art objects through sculpture, print, video, and sound, among other mediums. He received a BA from University of California, Berkeley and an MFA from Hunter College, CUNY. Simensky’s work has been featured in solo exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (San Diego, CA); the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (Portland, OR); Museum 52 (New York, NY); 500meter Museum (Sapporo, Japan); Project Row Houses (Houston, TX), and posthumously at Outlook Is__ Projects (Los Angeles, CA) and The Lab (San Francisco, CA). Simensky’s performances and installations have been featured at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA (Los Angeles, CA), the Swiss Institute (New York, NY), the Wattis Institute (San Francisco, CA), the ICA San Francisco (San Francisco, CA), the 18th Street Art Center (Santa Monica, CA), the de Young Museum (San Francisco, CA), The Marin Museum of Contemporary Art (San Rafael, CA); Sculpture Center (Queens, NY); Palais de Tokyo (Paris, France); Mass MOCA (North Adams, MA), Tanya Bonakdar Gallery (New York, NY); and Socrates Sculpture Park (Queens, NY). Simensky received multiple grants and awards, including a NYFA Fellows Grant, an Oregon Arts Commission/Ford Family Opportunity Grant, and Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants, and residencies including MacDowell Colony, La Tallera Proyecto Siqueiros, and Skowhegan School Of Painting & Sculpture. He has been featured in multiple publications including Cabinet Magazine, Artforum, New Yorker, and more. He taught at Maine College of Art & Design; School of the Art Institute of Chicago; Stanford University; New York University; and University of California, San Diego; and was a Chair of Visual Art Studies MFA at Pacific Northwest College of Art and, most recently, Chair of Graduate Fine Arts at California College of the Arts.
Events
- A Sea of Particles Opening Reception: Friday, June 26, 2026, 5:00-7:00 pm, The ICA at MECA&D
- Visiting Artist Talk with Garrick Imatani, co-presented with MECA&D MFA in Studio Art as part of the 2026 MFA Visiting Artist Summer Lecture Series: Monday, June 29, 2026, 5:30-7:00 pm, Osher Hall, MECA&D Campus
- July Portland First Friday Art Walk: Friday, July 3, 2026, 5:00-8:00 pm, The ICA at MECA&D
- Visiting Artist Talk with Jess Perlitz, co-presented with MECA&D MFA in Studio Art as part of the 2026 MFA Visiting Artist Summer Lecture Series: Monday, July 13, 2026, 5:30-7:00 pm, Osher Hall, MECA&D Campus
- August Portland First Friday Art Walk: Friday, August 7, 2026, 5:00-8:00 pm, The ICA at MECA&D
- September Portland First Friday Art Walk: Friday, September 4, 2026, 5:00-8:00 pm, The ICA at MECA&D
All programs are free and open to the public; additional programming will be announced. For more information, visit meca.edu/ica.