RIDGEFIELD, CT.- It’s a sign of the times—and our increased interest in sustainable transportation—that The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum debuted Bike Rides: The Exhibition.

Organized by Aldrich curators Richard Klein and Mónica Ramírez-Montagut, with the advice of musician, artist, and bicycle advocate David Byrne, the exhibition explores the growing relevance of bicycles in contemporary art and culture.

The multidisciplinary project features approximately thirty works from around the world, including functional cycles—ranging from cutting-edge designs to populist expressions—as well as bicycle-inspired sculpture and video.

In some cases, bikes have been re-appropriated by artists and enthusiasts in the service of creating new art, such as the inflatable-toy-embellished work of Cai Guo-Qiang; the sound system speaker-adorned Pimp My Piragua of Miguel Luciano; the greenhouse tricycle of Secret School and the K.I.D.S.; the tricked-out vintage rides of the Brooklyn-based Puerto Rico Schwinn Club; the cast-bronze cycles of Subodh Gupta; and the rattan- and rubber-weave-covered work of Jarbas Lopes. In other cases, designers had function and performance in mind, creating inventive new frame shapes from materials such as bamboo, carbon fiber, and titanium. The exhibition will also feature a video by David Sowerby showing rider Danny MacAskill performing sensational bike tricks, which has been viewed nearly ten million times on YouTube, as well as three innovative bike racks that exist somewhere between fine art and industrial design.

Richard Klein commented, “As worldwide trends point to bike riding as a serious and sustainable means of transportation that is currently reshaping cities, the public’s fascination with bicycles is growing. All these works emphasize the diverse use and function of these man-powered machines that is present in different societies.”

Mónica Ramírez-Montagut agreed that the bikes on view “represent different identities and serve new and distinct functions. Avid bike riders, amateur bike aficionados, recreational bikers, artists, cutting-edge designers, and the community at large are all reconsidering bicycles through their personal point of view: their own ideal bike.”

Bike Rides will remain on view through January 3, 2010, and include artworks or bikes from Lance Armstrong; Bamboo Bike Studio (Justin Aguinaldo, Sean Murray, and Marty Odin); Guy Ben-Ner; Jonathan Brand; David Byrne; Cai Guo-Qiang; Cannondale Bicycle Corporation; David Gelfman; Subodh Gupta; Bari Kumar; Jarbas Lopes; Miguel Luciano; Mexican Pride (Francisco Javier Ceballos, Rogelio and Braulio Martinez, and Vicente Olivares); PARLEE Cycles; Carolina Pedraza; Puerto Rico Schwinn Club (Martha Clavijo, “El Gallo,” and Orlando Rivera); Richard Sachs; Tom Sachs; Secret School and the K.I.D.S. (Colin McMullan [aka EMCEE C.M.] and Huong Ngo); Seven Cycles; David Sowerby and Danny MacAskill; Studio Tractor (Peter Kirkiles design + fabrication and Studio Tractor Architecture); and Rob Vandermark.

The Aldrich will mark the opening of Bike Rides: The Exhibition by hosting Bike Fest—a celebration of all things bicycle—on Sunday, October 4, 2009, from 1 to 5 pm. The festival will feature live bike performances by BMX riders and cirque acrobats; free Cannondale demos; tune-ups by the Bike Doctor; primp-my-bike contests; prizes; rides; helmet fittings; family activities; refreshment tents; and MORE! Cyclists are encouraged to join us from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm for Le Tour d’Aldrich—organized bicycle rides for all abilities, which will culminate at the festival. The Museum will provide on-site bike parking for guests who ride to the event, continuous round-trip transportation from the Metro North Katonah Train Station to the Museum, and car parking in adjacent lots.