MCA Denver commissioned London-based artists Tim Noble and Sue Webster to install the site-specific work, Toxic Schizophrenia / Hyper Version as part of the inaugural events for the Museum’s first permanent home, a new facility designed by British architect David Adjaye.
The sculpture, which is the first public project Noble and Webster have realized in the U.S., reaches 32 feet skyward. Blood drips from a jeweled dagger, which pierces the heart. The heart is made of fiberglass and LED lights, in order to curb excess energy consumption and in keeping with the Museum’s LEED-certified status. Toxic Schizophrenia / Hyper Version, which is visible from the busy downtown streets surrounding the Museum, lures people closer through flashing lights and swirling colors, acting as a beacon for the institution. The glow of the piece is reflected in the building’s gray glass façade, incorporating the Museum’s structure into the work's aesthetic qualities.
Portraying the heart and dagger with a futuristic feel, Noble and Webster give the classical symbol new dimension, form, and light. The artists reclaim this symbol as a sign of empowerment in youth culture today–not unlike the young, forward-thinking, non-collecting MCA Denver.