JEMA is a location variable museum space. It celebrated its Grand Opening on 25 July 2003 in the lobby of the Seattle Art Museum, Washington State, USA

JEMA’s mission is to display and collect innovative and provocative con-temporary art and/or offer exhibitions that allow people to think differently about the nature of art and art practice.

The Galleries are housed in sturdy 16 x 12 x 9" aluminium carrying cases. JEMA’s design allows it to perform and embody numerous aspects of art and art practice in a simultaneous manner. JEMA is a museum, display case, crate, exhibition space, sculpture, photographic series, performance, installation, site-specific project, collaboration and web-based project. In fact, in its operation JEMA exhibits and demonstrates almost all media associated with visual art (sometimes simultaneously). In addition, it involves nearly all the realms of art practice and the business of art, revitalizing the roles of curator, artist, and viewer.

JEMA dematerializes the art institution and re-envisions it as a tool (capable of being transported as carry-on luggage) while still highlighting and publicizing artists and providing a rich cultural service. The practice of creating, owning, and operating JEMA has pioneered a new criterion for analyzing exhibition spaces. Special concerns at JEMA, associated with art exhibition and promotion have led to coinage of new phrases to address the unique issues and assets facing this institution. JEMA slogans include: “The Museum/Tool Paradox”, “The Location Variable Equation”, “Museum Stealth”, and “Spatial Prejudice”.

JEMA exhibited at Art Basil/Miami Beach in 2003 when it flew Sergio Vega’s exhibition High Art (2003) over Art Basel in a banner plane. JEMA has performed with the Irish Defence Forces at the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin, Ireland, exhibited at Schalter Gallery, Berlin, ACC Galerie, Weimar, Germany, Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast, Indianapolis Museum of Art and the Contemporary Museum, Baltimore. JEMA has exhibited the work of artists such as John Feodorov, Gregory Green, Kristin Lucas, Arnold Mesches, Yoko Ono, Sean Taylor, Andrea Robbins and Max Becher.

In October 2009, JEMA exhibited a sugar-cube installation by Irish artist Brendan Jamison. This solo exhibition opened at the Harn Museum, University of Florida.

For further information visit www.jema.us

Sean Miller, Director and Founder of JEMA

JEMA Director Sean Miller with artist Brendan Jamison at the Harn Museum, University of Florida, 8 September 2009

2009: Reichstag Würfelzucker Kuppel, JEMA Berlin

Installation view of Reichstag Würfelzucker Kuppel [model B2-RZK] (2009)

Brendan Jamison, carved sugar cubes, JEMA, Platz der Republik, The Reichstag, Berlin.

On June 16th , 2009, Belfast-based sculptor, Brendan Jamison, JEMA staff, and museum-goers assembled at Queen Street Studios Gallery in Belfast, Northern Ireland and ceremoniously prepared Jamison’s Reichstag Würfelzucker Kuppel (Reichstag Sugar-cube Dome) for travel to Berlin, Germany. In commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the construction of the Norman Foster’s dome addition to The Reichstag, JEMA invited Jamison to build a sugar-cube version of this state-of-the-art glass and metal edifice. In homage to the iconic 1995 wrapping of The Reichstag (then domeless) by Christo and Jeanne-Claude, JEMA Director Sean Miller commissioned the production of a special wrapping fabric to cover the entire sugar sculpture and a small wrapping event was arranged for Jamison’s dome at JEMA and Queen Street Studios Gallery Belfast. Participants in the event included: Belfast’s Chief JEMA Exhibition Technician Emma Connolly, QSS Gallery Director Brendan O'Neill, Sculptor Brendan Jamison, Flax Art Studio Manager Eleanor Phillips and Assistant Exhibition Technician Georgia Lennon. On Sunday, June 28th, at 8:30 pm, Reichstag Würfelzucker Kuppel was delivered, unwrapped, unveiled, and exhibited at Platz der Republik, The Reichstag, Berlin. Several months later, on Tuesday, September 8th, 2009, Jamison and JEMA travelled Reichstag Würfelzucker Kuppel to the Samuel P. Harn Museum in Gainesville, Florida to begin its U.S. tour.

PART 1: PROJECT RESEACH

Meeting at the Eurpoa Hotel in Belfast on 20 April 2008, Jamison and Miller discuss the architectural attributes of government buildings and

monuments. Later, after several visits to Berlin, Jamison commences with research regarding the architecture of The Reichstag.In the course

of his research Jamison becomes especially fascinated with the iconic Norman Foster dome that was added to the Reichstag in 1999.

Files and careful records are kept at JEMA concerning the history of The Reichstag as well as Brendan Jamison’s process. In the course of

their research Miller and Jamison admiringly remember the 1995 'Wrapped Reichstag' project by Christo and Jeanne-Claude.

A photographic document of the 1995 wrapping project by Christo and Jeanne-Claude offers an image of a wrapped Reichstag (then without dome).

May 2009: In reference to the iconic 1995 wrapping of The Reichstag by Christo and Jeanne-Claude, JEMA Director Sean Miller commissions the

production of this special wrapping fabric to cover the entire sugar sculpture. Artist Kelly Cobb weaves a special linen fabric and it is embroidered

with Jamison’s name, his exhibition title, and JEMA logo. A detail of the fabric is shown here.

PART 2: WRAPPING THE DOME IN BELFAST, 16 June 2009

16 June 2009: A special wrapping event is held at the QSS Gallery in Belfast with JEMA Exhibition Technician and Art Handler, Emma Connolly,

QSS Gallery Director Brendan O'Neill, Sculptor Brendan Jamison, Flax Art Studio Manager Eleanor Phillips and JEMA Assistant Exhibition

Technician Georgia Lennon.

A round of applause draws the wrapping event to a close and JEMA closes to make preparations to travel the exhibition and the new dome to

the German capital.

PART 3: UNWRAPPING THE DOME IN BERLIN, 28 June 2009

The elevated view of the wrapped sugar cube dome as it passes custom

control on its diplomatic mission to Berlin to strengthen Irish/American/German

relations. This sweet gesture will be presented to the German people at

the front steps of the German parliament.

JEMA Exhibition Technician, Emma Connolly and sculptor, Brendan

Jamison, open the museum in Berlin in front of The Reichstag.

On Sunday, June 28th, at 8:30 pm, Reichstag Würfelzucker Kuppel was

delivered, unwrapped, unveiled, and exhibited at Platz der Republik,

The Reichstag, Berlin.

Lines of viewers visit JEMA to see Jamison’s new exhibition

Reichstag Würfelzucker Kuppel.

Reichstag Würfelzucker Kuppel at JEMA:

Total audience count: 473 (duration 117 minutes).

The Reichstag’s new dome sparkles

PART 4: DELIVERING & EXHIBITING THE DOME AT

THE HARN MUSEUM IN FLORIDA, 8 September 2009

Several months later, on Tuesday, September 8th, 2009, Jamison and JEMA Director Sean Miller, travel Reichstag Würfelzucker Kuppel to the

Samuel P. Harn Museum in Gainesville, Florida to begin its U.S. tour.

JEMA opens amid the crates in the Harn Museum’s Exhibition and Registration offices and workspace. Left: Registrar, Jessica Aiken and

Education Coordinator, Rebecca Fitzsimmons, observe and begin the necessary paperwork as Brendan Jamison prepares to unwrap

Reichstag Würfelzucker Kuppel.

The Harn Museum’s Curator of African Art, Susan Cooksey, is the first official viewer of Reichstag Würfelzucker Kuppel.

INSTALLATION VIEWS

Installation view of Reichstag Würfelzucker Kuppel [model B2-RZK] (2009) Brendan Jamison at John Erickson Museum of Art.

Number of carved sugar cubes in dome: 216. Number of sugar crystals in each cube: 725,000.

Total number of sugar crystals in dome sculpture: 156,600,000 (156.6 million).

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2008: MOUNTAIN CUBE
A sneak preview of upcoming project for JEMA exhibition in New York