Circled the Man at Heliopolis
Daniel Bozhkov
Dineo Seshee Bopape
Erkan Ozgen and Sener Ozmen
Ji Hye Yom
Susana Gaudêncio
Opening Reception: Friday, November 9th, 7-10pm
Curated by Georgia Elrod, Baris Gokturk, and Sarada Rauch.
"You could say that a reckoning has to be made with the coyote…”
Joseph Beuys on I Like America and America Likes Me, 1974
When Joseph Beuys came to New York to live and communicate with a wild coyote in a small room he fascinated people. In I Like America and America Likes Me (1974) Beuys assembled a parallel mythology; through symbolism he proposed a different perspective on America, both current and historical. Using an alternative lexicon of ancient myths, he attempted, through his work, to "fix" or heal the rampant global effects of American foreign policy at work during that time. Following this lead, the works in Circled the Man extend parameters by investigating parallel mythologies at work today--traditional, political and otherwise. A show inviting expansion and insight, these are international artists whose work questions, navigates, or provides a broader perspective on political and social paradigms.
It is the common practice of political entities, states and institutions with access to power to churn their respective mythologies, amplifying their raison d’etre and justifying their actions beyond ethical frontiers. The fabrication of such mythologies is followed by the aestheticization of their message sponsored by these very same machines. The individual, the artist, and the independent mind finds itself on the edge of these official narratives. This displacement at its best can result in an alternate current, an adjustment, and a healing. The artist can respond to the officially sponsored spin-of-authority with their own individual practice, placing a stick into the spinning wheel.
Heliopolis
154 Huron St,
Greenpoint, Brooklyn NY
www.suncityprojectspace.com
Dineo Seshee Bopape
Erkan Ozgen and Sener Ozmen
Ji Hye Yom
Susana Gaudêncio
Opening Reception: Friday, November 9th, 7-10pm
Curated by Georgia Elrod, Baris Gokturk, and Sarada Rauch.
"You could say that a reckoning has to be made with the coyote…”
Joseph Beuys on I Like America and America Likes Me, 1974
When Joseph Beuys came to New York to live and communicate with a wild coyote in a small room he fascinated people. In I Like America and America Likes Me (1974) Beuys assembled a parallel mythology; through symbolism he proposed a different perspective on America, both current and historical. Using an alternative lexicon of ancient myths, he attempted, through his work, to "fix" or heal the rampant global effects of American foreign policy at work during that time. Following this lead, the works in Circled the Man extend parameters by investigating parallel mythologies at work today--traditional, political and otherwise. A show inviting expansion and insight, these are international artists whose work questions, navigates, or provides a broader perspective on political and social paradigms.
It is the common practice of political entities, states and institutions with access to power to churn their respective mythologies, amplifying their raison d’etre and justifying their actions beyond ethical frontiers. The fabrication of such mythologies is followed by the aestheticization of their message sponsored by these very same machines. The individual, the artist, and the independent mind finds itself on the edge of these official narratives. This displacement at its best can result in an alternate current, an adjustment, and a healing. The artist can respond to the officially sponsored spin-of-authority with their own individual practice, placing a stick into the spinning wheel.
Heliopolis
154 Huron St,
Greenpoint, Brooklyn NY
www.suncityprojectspace.com
All images copyright Georgia Elrod 2024