Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Sean Townley at Kristina Kite

(link)

In the trend for art as sci-fi set pieces, Townley's seem distinct in presenting the historical institution as the stage - rather than whatever Hollywood SFX presented as art - but the museum rendered back at itself. The space of relic, display, and preservation for a subtle estrangement or mockery. Like a dark and more powerful Indiana Jones. All the questions of which past is worth fumigating, which is worth suffocating? The two get confused. Isn't history itself science fiction at this point? Bad news is an understatement, comedy. 

See too: Josh Kline at Modern ArtAdrián Villar Rojas at MOCA GeffenCooper Jacoby at Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-BadenMax Hooper Schneider at Jenny’sMax Hooper Schneider at High ArtTimur Si-qin at von ammon coTimur Si-Qin at Carl KostyálKorakrit Arunanondchai at Clearing