Since the beginning of the 1970s, New York–based artist Charles Simonds (American, born 1945) has developed a unique practice at the intersection of sculpture, performance, street art, activism, and utopian city planning.

Temenos, an ancient Greek word meaning a sacred space dedicated to gods, was the title chosen by Simonds for his indoor installation created especially for the Albright-Knox. It was a fantasy landscape of colored clay, sticks, and stones covering the floor of a gallery, where it could be observed from three doorways. The landscape, a ritual place for Simonds' Little People, reflected "their scale and the shapes and forms of their life cycles." Photographs, drawings, and clay models were installed in an adjacent gallery.

This exhibition was the third in a series of Albright-Knox Art Gallery / HALLWALLS projects, and was complemented by events including two film screenings, an artist’s lecture, and the artist’s week-long residency at 152 Allen Street.

An illustrated catalogue, with an essay by Linda L. Cathcart and an interview with Simonds by Daniel Abadie, and a poster were produced to accompany the exhibition.

This exhibition was organized by Albright-Knox Curator Linda L. Cathcart.