by Onajídé Shabaka - 26 May, 2007

   Miami Gets Conditioned

    by Onajídé Shabaka

Conditions of Display, curated by Gean Moreno at The Moore Space and Locust Projects, puts forward some notions that aren't readily accessible to many viewers but, we're left with more questions than answers. There is, as always, press materials available at both locations for those that have the desire for them.

"In recent years there has been a renewed interest among younger artists to produce work that rescues some of the critical gestures of past generations.

Conditions of Display sets out to showcase and explore the meaning of this refocusing on display strategies, presentational contexts, and the myriad ways in which artworks are framed and distributed. Stemming from the preoccupations of early conceptual artists that first turned toward a rigorous investigation of site, the concerns of these younger artists engage not only the immediate physical locale where the work is exhibited but the systems of distribution and display in which they function. Beyond this, the exhibition will explore how the critical gestures fare in our contemporary socio-cultural situation.

The work of four artists that first emerged in the late 1980s and early 1990s--Christopher Williams, Michael Krebber, Eugenio Espinoza and Gaylen Geber--made theirs the tradition of institutional critique and context-specific production. Against these, the work of the younger artists in Conditions of Display will be presented. Relying on different media--from digital videos to banners to paintings--these younger artists have revived certain critical and self-reflexive gestures, renewing an interrogation of site and the systems that frame the art object while remaining keenly aware of the socio-cultural situation in which the function. Along with pre-existing objects, a number of the artists will be producing projects specifically for this exhibition. Gaylen Gerber will participate with a new Backdrop painting made specifically for The Moore Space. Berlin-based artist Tobias Buche will build a new, large-scaled display unit. Shahin Afrassiabi has shot a new video that focuses on educational spaces.

Miami-based artists Adler Guerrier and Eugenio Espinoza both made new work. Guerrier's work involves, among other things, a psycho-geography of the increasingly-gentrified neighborhood of Wynwood and Espinoza will be rehabilitating part of the installation that he produced for Locust Projects in 2005.

Sean Paul is working on a context-specific reaction to the sites in which this exhibition will take place. Gardar Einar Einarsson and Blake Rayne will also be participating with new work. This exhibition runs until June 30th at Locust Projects and July 14th at The Moore Space." (edited for site publication)

Having worked in the museum environment I was fully made aware of the importance of labeling and other such identification or documentation of exhibited works. This was not just a matter of explaining new works but, of providing a way for difficult or challenging works to be understood by viewers. One would certainly have to realize those concerns in our local environment where we have on a daily basis the opportunity to have a large non-art aware public into our world. That's just another consequence of the "Art Basel effect."

Podcast quickie interview with curator Gean Moreno

However, none of the works in Conditions of Display are labeled. One of the issues artists face when being part of a group exhibition is that they run the risk of their work being bound to the notions of the curator and having that work seen out of context. Although Moreno stated that a number of these artists also have the same concerns of display the exhibition looks at, the exhibition is about the notions put forward by the curator.

The Moore Space - Conditions of Display lecture with curator Gean Moreno
Click here to Listen Now!

Issues of the locale (meaning Miami) would seem to play out differently than the site specificity of The Moors Space because the notions put forward by Moreno would play differently in another (large, art aware) city. The works themselves may not be as dependent upon which white cubic space in which it is installed although, the installation as a whole would certainly be done differently, as is often the case when a traveling exhibition is installed in another space.

The non-profit status of both exhibitions spaces certainly removes a bit of emphasis on the commodification and, some works have a rough-hewn look, the equation is very much a part of this exhibition.

"The ism which came to be called relational aesthetics,
currently dominates international exhibitions," Jerry Saltz. [italics maex]

The Moore Space is located at 4040 NE 2nd Avenue, 2nd floor in the Design District. Regular Hours: Wed- Sat 10 am- 5 pm. Admission: free of cost. Locust Projects is located at 105 NW 23rd Street in Wynwood. Regular Hours: Thu- Sat, 12 pm-5pm, Admission: Free of cost.

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