Matters of Consequence

To help envision what happens when we bring private reflection into public space, artist Lan Tuazon presents Matters of Consequence (2025), a participatory public artwork installed in the University Hall Atrium at the University of Massachusetts Boston through April 2027. Matters of Consequence is presented by Arts on the Point at the University of Massachusetts Boston and is proudly supported by the Boston Public Art Triennial. 

Located within the university’s bustling University Hall atrium, Matters of Consequence asks visitors how art can help us think about our shared survival, environment, and care for one another. Inspired by a 15th-century painting of a studiolo—a room that functions as both a private study and a public studio—Tuazon reimagines the University Hall Atrium as a place for the UMass Boston community to gather for events, learning, and exchange.

Bringing this work to UMass is critical for the University, said Sam Toabe, Gallery Director of the University Hall Gallery and Director of Arts on the Point. “Collaborating with Lan Tuazon and the Boston Public Art Triennial brings students and the broader UMass Boston community together through exchange, play, and critical responses to contemporary social, cultural, and ecological questions. We’re especially excited to open the site to student activation through creative proposals that will help us learn and grow together. Matters of Consequence is a powerful example of art that is alive and responsive to its community, and I look forward to seeing what our students imagine and offer back.”

Throughout the year-long exhibition, the artist invites UMass students, faculty, and alumni to propose events and public programs that activate the sculpture as a platform for culture and collective energy. Visitors are encouraged to use the space in their own ways whether through student-led programming, informal gatherings, or quiet study to foster meaningful connections.