The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust presents "Marianne Vitale: On Liberty: A Summoning," an exhibition and performance project at SPACE gallery in downtown Pittsburgh, running from May 1 to October 11, 2026. Guest curated by Benjamin Tischer of New Discretions, the project explores the layered social and cultural history of the 818 Liberty Avenue building, a former hub of nightlife, performance, and queer gathering. Vitale's work incorporates sculpture, painting, film, and live activations, using decommissioned locomotive parts and industrial debris to engage with post-industrial America. The exhibition transforms into a functioning club during select Final Fridays, drawing on the site's history as home to venues like Pegasus Lounge, a key LGBTQ+ space during the AIDS crisis.
This project matters because it reanimates a historically significant site of queer and subcultural community in Pittsburgh, connecting contemporary art practice with urgent social histories of mutual aid and resilience. By merging exhibition and live performance, Vitale's work challenges traditional museum presentation and foregrounds the latent potential within industrial decline. The show also coincides with the Carnegie International, positioning Pittsburgh as a nexus for critical, site-specific art that addresses themes of endurance, transformation, and collective memory.