Friday, April 3, 2015

Paul Chan’s Nonprojections for New Lovers at the Guggenheim Museum/Revision

The Guggenheim Museum’s current retrospectives of artists On Kawara and Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian entice the audience to explore and reflect upon these artists’ work. Paul Chan’s exhibit Nonprojections for New Lovers, however, leaves the viewer yearning for a manner in which to engage with the installation.

Photo Courtesy of David Heald, Guggenheim Museum

Curator Katherine Brinson states that the newly crowned recipient of the 2014 Hugo Boss Prize has made a “visionary contribution to the field of contemporary art.” Chan’s multifaceted installation features his pursuit of essential elements such as a light and absence. A case holds books of erotica with titles such as How to Train Your Virgin, produced by Chan’s publishing company Badlands Unlimited. Across the space, a meditation on movement and shadow presents itself as four white nylon tubes that wriggle and dance in response to wall-mounted fans. Cement-filled shoes rest on the floor, strung together by electrical cords connected to projectors that project nothing. Adamant about separating political activism from his artistic practice, Chan’s presentation feels inconclusive. Devoid of images, the installation emphasizes Chan’s response to image-driven consumer culture. 

Photo Courtesy of David Heald, Guggenheim Museum

Nevertheless, Chan receives attention from the very commercial industry he challenges. Exhibition reviews appear in publications such as W Magazine and The Collector Tribune, illustrating the prestige of the Hugo Boss Prize. Photographs of Chan’s imageless pieces now packaged for consumption raise doubts about the sincerity of his intent.

Photo Courtesy of David Heald, Guggenheim Museum

2 comments:

  1. Hi Jessica-- I couldn't agree more. How are we supposed to engage with these works? They are deliberate "nonprojections," but this quality makes it hard for us to find the substance, and wonder if there is any to begin with. What is the "visionary contribution?" Is his response to image driven consumer culture to simply produce works devoid of images? You are entirely correct in questioning his intent. If he is so critical, what is he doing to change the culture? Using the same methods of communication as the consumerist culture in order to distribute his critique? That seems hypocritical. Only one suggestion for your re-write, maybe offer a criticism of the books behind the plastic as a another way the viewer is unable to connect to substantive content?

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  2. Jessica,
    I think you pose really important points in this post. Especially about the relationship between artist and spectator in these works. The only way they really engage the viewer is by creating some sort of confusion, at least that's how I felt in the room. I like how you brought in some outside sources, but I would suggest maybe expanding more on your middle paragraph and your descriptions of the pieces. The descriptions were completely on point, and I'd suggest maybe showcasing the longing for engagement alongside these descriptions to drive your point home. I think you could potentially cut out the first sentence talking about the other works in the guggenheim to create room to expand on what I just stated.

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