selfportrait.net's blog covering community artists, gallery shows, and the whereabouts of young entrepreneurs and artistic talents from NY, LA, London, Paris, the world.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

After Nature at the New Museum



In his second major show at the New Museum of Contemporary Art, special exhibition director Massimiliano Gioni unveils his desolate vision of a not-so-distant future that is at once hopelessly romantic and knowingly absurd. With ninety works by twenty-six artists, the exhibition spans three floors and makes use of the buildings cavernous interior to affect its post-apocalyptic austerity.

“After Nature,” named for W.G Sebald’s posthumous book-length poem, describes a portentous future plagued by disaster and disregard. Drawing inspiration from the decrepit and decayed the show comes to look more like an anthropologist’s’ study than a contemporary art exhibition.

Among the artists featured are Mauricio Cattelan, whose headless taxideremied horse appears in full on collision with the wall and Zoe Leonard, who’s resurrected a monstrous dead tree with industrial cables and steel plates. On opposite ends of the room, the works play off one another to create a motif that is as tragic as it is absurd.

The shows highlights include Warner Herzog’s 1992 film “Lessons of Darkness” which shows burning oil films during the Persian Gulf war and a short animation by Nathalie Djurberg in which an anthropomorphic blob of mud consumes a small town. One of the most striking pieces is a grotesque self-portrait of the Polish artist, Pawel Althamer, whose patchy complexion and yellow hue can be attributed to the intestinal patchwork he’s used as skin.

Other works include a predictable assemblage sculpture by the Iranian artist Huma Bhabha and a less expectant Dana Shultz painting of a man eating a hole through his stomach. More peculiar still is an installation by the collaborative artists Allora and Calzadilla in which they have assembled tropical plants at the center of Jenny Holzer’s 2004 projection Blue Wall Tilt.

The show is comprised largely of video artists who spare Herzog and Djurberg are uninspired and redundant. As is Polish sculptor Robert Kusmirowski’s scale model of Unabomber Ted Kaczynski’s infamous cabin.

But despite its inconsistencies “After Nature” is a remarkable show and an absolute triumph for Mr. Gioni and The New Museum.

4 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

doudoune canada goose, moncler, wedding dresses, louis vuitton, coach outlet, louis vuitton, canada goose uk, juicy couture outlet, swarovski crystal, moncler, pandora charms, moncler, pandora charms, replica watches, pandora jewelry, marc jacobs, moncler, canada goose, links of london, louis vuitton, canada goose outlet, louis vuitton, canada goose, pandora jewelry, hollister, sac louis vuitton pas cher, juicy couture outlet, swarovski, canada goose outlet, ugg boots uk, ugg,ugg australia,ugg italia, moncler outlet, bottes ugg, supra shoes, moncler, canada goose, canada goose, moncler, moncler, ugg pas cher, ugg,uggs,uggs canada, thomas sabo

September 6, 2016 at 8:24 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

converse outlet, longchamp, north face outlet, beats by dre, north face outlet, vans shoes, hollister, new balance, oakley, hollister, vans, mcm handbags, mont blanc, lululemon, timberland boots, instyler, ferragamo shoes, asics running shoes, herve leger, bottega veneta, hollister, gucci, abercrombie and fitch, nike air max, wedding dresses, celine handbags, soccer shoes, reebok shoes, lancel, nfl jerseys, nike roshe, birkin bag, p90x workout, insanity workout, ray ban, jimmy choo shoes, mac cosmetics, ralph lauren, babyliss, montre pas cher, converse, karen millen, chi flat iron, nike air max, valentino shoes, ghd, baseball bats, toms shoes, louboutin, soccer jerseys

September 6, 2016 at 8:25 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

true religion jeans, michael kors, ray ban pas cher, mulberry, michael kors outlet, michael kors, true religion jeans, hogan, new balance pas cher, nike blazer, burberry outlet online, oakley pas cher, north face, true religion outlet, nike air max, nike free run uk, tn pas cher, true religion jeans, michael kors outlet, ugg boots, hollister pas cher, burberry, michael kors, nike roshe, ray ban uk, michael kors outlet, sac guess, vanessa bruno, nike air max, michael kors outlet, replica handbags, michael kors outlet, lululemon, michael kors, vans pas cher, nike huarache, hermes, ralph lauren uk, abercrombie and fitch, air force, lacoste pas cher, coach purses, hollister, coach outlet, timberland, converse pas cher, north face, nike air max, nike trainers, ugg boots

September 6, 2016 at 8:27 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

nike air max, longchamp pas cher, tiffany jewelry, prada handbags, ugg boots, gucci outlet, nike outlet, polo ralph lauren outlet, coach outlet, ralph lauren pas cher, ray ban sunglasses, tory burch outlet, oakley sunglasses, louboutin pas cher, louboutin outlet, ray ban sunglasses, oakley sunglasses, louis vuitton outlet, burberry, jordan shoes, ray ban sunglasses, ugg boots, kate spade outlet, christian louboutin outlet, nike roshe run, louis vuitton, kate spade handbags, replica watches, uggs on sale, louboutin, polo ralph lauren outlet, oakley sunglasses, oakley sunglasses, nike air max, longchamp outlet, louis vuitton, michael kors, chanel handbags, longchamp, cheap oakley sunglasses, louboutin shoes, prada outlet, tiffany and co, longchamp outlet, nike free, air max, nike free, air jordan pas cher, sac longchamp, replica watches

September 6, 2016 at 8:28 PM  

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home