Friday, May 13, 2016

Zarouhie Abdalian at Clifton Benevento

Zarouhie Abdalian at Clifton Benevento
(link)

Parts and pieces, fragments, inherently interesting in that they narrativize themselves, project their story as artifacts of it. We automatically read the objects as parts of a whole that they withhold telling. A story that doesn't tell itself, but the parts limn this possible whole and the tension in our inability to piece it perfectly creates a mistrust, mystery. Abdalian's "storytelling" makes art's metaphorical viewer as detective a sort of literal mode in a setting for them. The mis-en-scene carries the narrative. Artforum thought it was about gentrification.


See too: Michael E. Smith at Sculpture Center