InterStates of Mind: Rewriting the Map of the United States in the Age of Automobile
Drawn primarily from the MSU Broad collection and grounded in matters relevant to the region, InterStates of Mind is an exhibition that takes a critical look at American car culture and the way that the automobile has become a symbol of American values. The automobile and associated industries gave material form to the American Dream, reimagining the foundational beliefs in the right to “life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.” However, as the term “inter-states” suggests (an exercise in the self-awareness of our current conditions), the exhibition also examines how many of these developments and opportunities were not afforded to all: the interstate highway system removed people from their homes, working conditions in factories became exploitative, and urban and suburban designs furthered racial segregation and social fragmentation. Sitting at the crossroads of these contradictions, InterStates of Mind unpacks our fascination with the automobile and the associated ideals that continue to shape America today.
Click the tags below to find more projects in an area of interest, or by faculty in a college.
Project Contact:
- Steven Bridges
- Broad Art Museum
- Associate Provost for University Arts and Collections
- sbridges@msu.edu
Partners
- Walter P. Reuther Library, Wayne State University
- Detroit Institute of Arts
- United Auto Workers
- Historical Society of Greater Lansing
Report of calendar year 2021 activity.